The Jackal and the Dragon
by YamiYugiPuzzleshipper
Summary: Yugi returns from an errand to the Temple of Anubis to find that everything seems strange and off inside of the palace. Pharaoh Atemu is acting strangely and refuses to hear what his vizier or any of the priests have to say to him. Rumors circulate of a threat to the throne. And Atemu is hiding secrets that Yugi cannot possibly understand.
1. Chapter I

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Warning: Some slight cursing, small mentions of blood**

 **Update Schedule: I'll be updating every two days**

 **Before anyone makes the mistake of assuming the title has ANYTHING to do with Seth, it does not. Just saying. NOPE. Seth is a minor character in the story, just kind of part of the background for the most part. The title is actually about Atemu and Yugi as well as the gods that are (frequently) mentioned throughout the story.**

 **Some of the timeline for Yu-Gi-Oh was altered (i.e. the time that Atemu's father dies, the time that Atemu visits the tombs for that blessing from the gods, Atemu's coronation, etc) and obviously the attitude Atemu has. I just can't see him being too much of an ass and power hungry if Yugi was in his life back then, especially with the way that he spends most of his time with him in this story and did so growing up as well. And the circumstances of the story, because those have a massive impact on him as well.**

 **SOME of the roles of the hierarchy are altered somewhat (which comes up later in the story), SPECIFICALLY Yugi's as a scribe/vizier-in-training, Shiamun's as the vizier, some of Atemu's, slightly the women of the harem, and some of Isis's, Mahado's and Mana's.**

 **(More story information at the bottom...)**

 **Anyways! As I PROMISED~ Here is your birthday fic, Echoheart~ Happy birthday!**

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Chapter I

He was relieved to be able to step out of the direct barrage of sunlight for a momentary reprieve; the city walls loomed up as a protective barrier of pale sand worked into brick passages and homes. The large walls that made up the perimeter were such a relief for him that he nearly cried with exuberance; it felt as if it had been a lifetime out in the perilous sands. It was already midday, Ra risen and resting in the center of the sky directly overhead, watching with a careful eye that he was unable to shake. A well of carved brick stones rested in the entrance and he scrambled towards it, ignoring his grandfather's soft chuckles of amusement at his childish behavior. Yugi didn't care to acknowledge the noise, instead struck with the desire to sate his thirst, parched from the long journey back from the temple of Anubis.

The temple had been glorious, well worth the three-day journey it had taken to arrive there but not quite the sandstorm that had held them stranded within Karnak. He had missed Waset terribly, desperate for the palace's familiar walls but mostly the person awaiting him there. Unlike the great structure that he called home, the cities were small, low to the ground, built on the floodplain in order to be able to retrieve goods by boat and for its source of water. They were made of weathered mud brick, not quite as elaborately done as the palace or the walls that surrounded it and the many temples within the major establishments. The lesser cities had smaller walls to keep boundaries and provide shelter from the sandstorms that raged within the deserts at times. But they faced only outwards and never towards the river, always allowing the water to ripple within their sights. Bridges of wood were formed from roof to roof to provide shade from Ra's highest position, and the caked mud bricks were the color of desert sand, smoothed tediously by the steady hands of workers and slaves of former wars before unity had been found beneath their current pharaoh. Small open windows were given sharp borders of rock with paint used to decorate some of the dreary uniform the cities held altogether, lacking the splendor of the palaces. The pathways had been strenuous to navigate, with many smoothed sandstone steps that seemed impervious to all but the water that could potentially flood them into nonexistence. He had seen—when his grandfather had pointed it out—that many of the roofs of the homes had a foot-deep indentation where basins were spread about to collect water when the rains came.

In their own rights, the smaller cities were nice to gaze upon, but they had been mere disappointments to him in comparison to what awaited him back home. Architecture was always a vibrant task given to the vizier to overlook and Yugi had always enjoyed going with his grandfather to witness the events taking place. Much of the work fascinated him, though he had no true desire to get his hands dirty with structuring itself. Overseeing it was more than enough for him, especially upon studying the plans for the newest temples that would be resurrected within Karnak soon enough.

Yugi abandoned the wooden bucket of water to take in the mighty peaks of the great earth-worn palace walls. The sunlight hit the obelisks and the entranceway in a way that made them hard to look upon but impossible to turn away from. If he squinted, he thought he could see the golden markings that braided in symbols of peace and power across one of the mighty beams of stone. Massive flat-topped pillars rose upwards in uneven lengths, the walls leaned upwards as if taking a note from the design of the pyramids with their brilliant slopes. The walls of the palace rose in a heavy barrier with a narrow entrance and he thought he could see the wooden bridge used as the doorway's final barricade against the sand beneath. The path before them was heavily trodden upon, by horses' hooves and chariot wheels from pharaohs long before greeting their people, and the color was distorted by the new patterns, taking on a darker, more orange tone like the red sands. Strips of grass rose on sandy outcrops along the edges of the pathway, with trees scattered about that gave little but extremely vital shade to one seeking shelter from the sun's rays.

He had been away for far too long; relief sprang forward with a hint of regret. It had been a month since he had last seen the other, a whole lunar cycle, and thirty days without the familiar faces of the palace goers made his chest ache. Being without the other boy had left him anxious for return, their departure delayed by a random wind that had kicked up too much sand for safe passage.

Yugi was still unsure of why they had been sent on this errand as it was, but he would ask when he got home and not before. He wished to hear it from the other's mouth, not his grandfather's, as he knew Shiamun might twist the words around to lead him down another path of conversation. The entire thing had been suspiciously unwarranted and the specific instructions far too grand to have no significance. There was also the matter that they had been chosen—a vizier and a boy specifically being trained to take his place as the king's right hand upon growing older. A vizier's job included nothing of making sacrifices to the gods, something that only the pharaoh and his priests were meant to do. And the fact that he knew they were the only three who had any idea the task he had given them only added to the conspicuous nature of the sacrifice they had made in Karnak.

There was also the fact that it was Anubis they had given blessings to instead of Ra that made Yugi wonder and worry without much reprieve. Why should a pharaoh wish to make such an unusually deliberately specific sacrifice to the god of the dead? It had not made sense to him then and he still did not have any answers. More so, he thought the most urgent aspect of the matter was that his grandfather had been the only one to speak to the god. No priest had been sent with them for the deity to speak through and he had not been allowed to witness the ritual, drawn away by his grandfather's warning words before he had fallen into a deep sleep. He had told him to leave the moment that he made the kill for the god or the wrath of Anubis would be set upon him for spying. And so Yugi had gone about leaving the altar to stand inside of the hall, facing the exit and trying desperately not to choke on the harsh incense that burned from the vases set about the entrance of the sacrificial chamber.

He still remembered the heavy gates that accessed the massive hallway with great stone columns and the series of many other chambers through which he knew the priests of Anubis would pass. He was still terribly unnerved by the thought of it, of how the priest that had met them there had not even paused but to say that he had been expecting them. Yugi had found that each of the chambers were lit by only beeswax candles without torches to sit in perches on the walls, the smell of incense violent and threatening to choke him. The chambers had gradually decreased in size as they had continued further inside, the light of the temple deliberately and significantly reduced. The entire experience had done nothing but put him on edge, the darkness creating an atmosphere of mystery that made his skin crawl. He knew that his grandfather had gone within the chapel, had seen the shrine which contained the god's statue. The statue would be situated in the inner sanctum of the temple, given the body of a man and the head of a jackal.

He had been relieved to escape the temple and come back to the villages, despite the sandstorm that had come about. And now he had the chance to gain answers and alleviation from the desperate ache that had been driving him insane for the past thirty days. He wanted to see the other boy as soon as possible, to be able to drink in the warm scent of cinnamon and fresh honey, of salt and cumin. Energy made his limbs spark with life and he spun around to face his grandfather, trembling with excitement as the other smiled in warm amusement. He nodded and Yugi tore off without him, ignoring the sun as it stung his skin viciously with the weight of its heat. His skin was conditioned for it, as was anyone's who lived in Egypt, but his flesh burned easily, always stinging painfully and needing alleviation through natural remedies.

He made it to the entrance in only a handful of moments, excitement lending him great speed, and he spun around to face his grandfather. The vizier rolled his deep plum purple eyes, smiling good-naturedly, and hurried to gain a place beside him. Yugi bounced in place, shaking with exuberance once more, and licked his lips as he took in the familiar walls of the palace he had always called home.

The wood of the bridge that formed the barricade at night was strong and hard beneath their feet, giving off a nice, thick sound like the fishers' boats banking in the sand. A set of three widened steps formed a ramp upwards to lead into the gardens. Yugi breathed in deeply, nearly trembling with happiness at the familiar surroundings; how many times had he spent the hours resting in the shade of the freshly planted trees with the other? As always, the thickly branched deep brown trunks arched skyward several heads above him, a large square of lush greenery between them, with flowers of white and gold and purple and red resting among long strands of grass. Bushes with blooms lined a well-bricked pool of deep blue water the shade of the Nile, with scattered lily pads amongst the beautiful shade. A platform of large white sand steps stretched towards the palace's numerous doorways, the flowers opposite the great formed sandstone taking on the job of giving a cluster of cobalt and orange blooms for the pharaoh's liking. The pool of water was spread further beneath a small bridge of both wood painted a speckled golden hue and pearl white akin the steps before them, the natural spring fed by the Nile. A well was positioned towards his left, a few paces away from the plants, a large circle of raised earth and carved bricks of stone.

"Where do you think he is?" he demanded rather than asked, blushing at the desperate excitement that coated his words and made his grandfather snort in amusement.

"Probably in one of the audience chambers, possibly his father's throne room," Shiamun said thoughtfully; the pharaoh's son was always wandering around the palace, never truly able to remain in one place for too long. He was restless, and his attention short. One had to truly keep his focus enraptured to gain a word from him in response or else they would be sorely mistaken with the effort he put into a conversation. Most often, his give away when he was not held by words was the way his lips drew together and the right side tugged downwards the tiniest bit, his eyes grew a small bit darker as if he were slipping back into his thoughts, and his head tipped to the left a fraction. It had taken him years to figure this out, realizing several times that the lessons he had tried to bestow upon him had been in vain the moment that he tried to make him relay a word he had said. Yugi was the only one that he paid attention to even if he was doing nothing more than looking around for something to occupy his time. Often times, he would have to have Yugi relay the message to the young heir who would pay him all the attention in the world and grow more excitable as the moments passed simply because he had the other boy's attention.

Yugi's excitement fell a notch at the reminder. He would be taking the throne soon, as his father's illness seemed to only be getting worse as the time passed. He shuddered at the thought, wondering how he would take it. "We'll check out the throne room first," he decided loudly, unable to contain a small bit of unhappiness from bearing the undertone of his statement.

He slipped through the archway that served as the entrance for the main hall's back exit, a small corridor with painted images decorating the walls. A few animals and flowers served to line the upper more centered spaces of the alabaster stone, the bottom having golden paint to outline etchings of symbols and drawings of more prominent creatures from their religion. A scarab and a jackal rested side by side, none of the symbols he favored more than the rest for their simplistic design and the tone of gold that set them into the wall. Incense burned on tall hollowed clay and metal stands, the scent heavenly and intoxicating, and the columns that lined the walls were striped with deep red to symbolize their future king.

He shuddered, all thoughts of the pharaoh's possible passing leading him immediately to the image of those deep crimson eyes the other possessed. He couldn't say or think his name for the moment, knowing if he did, he would wind up a jumbled mess of excitement that would fall to the smoothed floors with the hopes of capturing his attention again. It was not that he needed grovel before the other boy—he respected him far more than he did anyone else when it came down to it—but the mere idea that he would see him again made him feel weak with happiness. The thought of saying his name and having him respond, those red eyes struck with surprise and excitement to rival his own, made him bite his tongue and leash any attempt of his name slipping into his mind.

He made his eyes lock on the two sculptures that rested in the far wall before him, serving as a reminder that the servants' quarters sat directly beside them as well. The two statues were of Ra and Ma'at, both of them beside each other and directly positioned behind the burning incenses' tall stands. Intricate designs in writing behind them bore the names and powers of both gods, the importance that they possessed as the father of the gods and the keeper of balance. Yugi knew both of their stories by heart, teaching them to the prince in order to have him respect their religion as well seeing as he was the only one he would listen to without eventually seemingly growing deaf with boredom. His attention span was too short for someone to prattle on without engaging him in some way—eye contact was a strong motivator, as well as making games or speaking animatedly or simply answering any questions he asked. Not many in the palace actually knew that, however, and the other boy always paid attention to him whether he was just in the room or speaking, red eyes always locked on his frame and seemingly trying to memorize every bit of him.

Beyond the main hall in which the throne rested, would be the altar room, with the king's bedroom directly parallel of it, the hallway large and spacious to divide them. The corridor beyond it would lead to a set of bedchambers for those of the priests as well as his own and his grandfather's, with the nursery separated from them by a thick wall that helped to keep any noise threatening their slumbers at bay. The audience chambers were numerous and spread around the palace in different areas, taking several of the corners of the great structure, with the harem positioned between the servants' quarters and the hallway that connected the bedchambers. Beyond the resting quarters, stashed outside in a more solitary building were the grain slots, about four to six depending on the harvest. With it rested the storage, the stables and a miniature workshop, the kitchen, cattle pens, and a lodge.

He continued along the path to the main hall, slipping along the narrow corridor with Shiamun behind him, both of them making their way quickly. He was startled when he slipped around one of the grand columns laced with red paint to a smell a new incense burning. It was usual for them to burn three different incense a day for morning, midday, and evening, but the scent was stronger than it should have been, to the point that it burned his nose and made him shudder in discomfort. Shiamun froze beside him, blinking wide eyes, and then gave Yugi a startled look before leading the way further into the throne room. The throne rested in the center of the large room, carved from the finest gold with intricate patterns woven into its design, the Horus name of the pharaoh's family running along the armrests. The Eye of Ra rested over the very top, a symbol of power that the red-eyed boy was going to be recognized with for others to gape at its splendor when he was long gone—or so they said anyways. Yugi had never really had the urge to gape at any symbol from a former pharaoh before, so he wondered if that was more just to make this new reluctant heir actually desire to grow into the throne.

Yugi had, unfortunately, given the other boy a taste of more freedom than he should have. He himself was used to making decisions that did not entirely require approval from others or that always matched that of what he was being trained for. His freedom to do so and not be judged so harshly was what had always turned the other's head to watch him when decisions were being made, no matter the subject. It was one of the things the other claimed to love about him, the fact that he did not hesitate to do what he felt was right despite the disapproval of their fellow royals. And he showed it without much care, allowing their heir to get a taste of freedom that was not rightfully his, something that Yugi had always regretted. He had always been resistant towards rules and his own future power, but he knew that he had brought it more to focus in the other boy, making him that much more reluctant to even bother with his responsibilities or learning.

Yugi froze as he too slipped around the column that had formerly blocked his sight of the throne in its completion, eyes widening in shock and confusion. Fingers drummed a steady pattern against the arm of the chair, nails clicking against the smooth surface and making a heavy and cold noise for each impact of the digits. The fingers were long and slender, a caramel tone that set nicely against his deep blue and gold-marked silken clothing. A long beautifully done deep blue woolen cape pooled around the edges of the seat, resting on the floor without much care, and legs clad in golden clasps giving way to a pair of thick papyrus shoes crossed at the thighs. A golden wing the shape of Ra's rested on his left shoulder, sharply gleaming in the torchlight from their places lining the walls on either side, held by figures sketched into the columns. A sharpened jaw was tipped forward to block the sight of the thick plate of gold that wrapped itself around a narrow neck, covering a young chest and slim shoulders. Thick earrings of gold flickering in the torchlight like dancing flames draped from ears easily overshadowed by jagged bangs the color of the sun that rested in front of a piece of jewelry that made Yugi shiver in discomfort.

Perched on his forehead, beneath a crown of the deepest black silken hair given a fiery red crest like fresh blood in the form of spikes shaped like an imperfect star, rested something that made Yugi quiver as he looked upon it. The Eye of Ra seated in a clasp of gold that spread outwards and upwards in a diamond shape the length of his forehead. Long wings of gold like that of the god's the symbol engraved upon it stretched out behind the long bangs, giving the rich hair the appearance of more abundance in their jagged yellow form.

A hand rose to pick at a bang, tugging on the end almost unconsciously, but with enough force to make it known his irritation. And Yugi got a clear view of the thick golden bracelet that wrested on his wrist, the armband that covered his bicep, and the two royal rings that he found resting on his pinkie and third finger. He blinked stupidly, taking in the rope that rested on top of the golden plate, weighted by an upside down pyramid with the Eye of Ra as its center, giving more light to the bands of gold that wrapped firmly around his waist and showed just how skinny he looked beneath all of that clothing.

 _Oh Atemu_ …

He trembled faintly, taking in the stony appearance of the high priest standing in the corner of the room, blue eyes sharp as they took them in with stark surprise. Shiamun stayed silent next to him but he could see that he was just as shocked as he, both of them frozen in place and giving the new pharaoh looks that bordered on horrified.

If he had not seen the rings on his finger or the crown on his head, he would have thought that perhaps he was merely sitting as he would have in place of his ill father. The boy shifted forward in his seat to place his chin in his palm, fingers against his cheek, the rings gleaming brightly to give off an eye-catching glow. His stomach twisted and shuddered, his heart lurching and falling into the jumbled mess of acids.

With his eyes so firmly closed, his long spidery lashes touching the top of his cheekbones with no illusion of kohl, the pharaoh looked almost as if he might be sleeping. But Yugi knew from his own time spent with the other that he was as well aware of their presence as he was the gold that rested against his skin as it did. He might not have known that it was them that stood before him, but he knew there were two others in the throne room with him. Yugi shivered and glanced at his grandfather, almost wanting to beg him to tell him that he was wrong and Atemu was merely holding the throne for his father, but stayed silent when he caught the sharp look in his plum gaze.

The boy ducked his head with a small twinge of shameful indignation, chewing his cheek before looking up through his lashes to take in the other's form once more. He wanted to open his mouth and cry out the other's name, confused and mournful for his new position as well as his loss, but kept quiet. The pharaoh would have to acknowledge them first before they could even entertain the thought of speech, as it was he who held the power, and to speak out of turn was punishable. Instead he licked his lips as uneasiness pushed his mouth into a dry state and his tongue tried in vain to wet the soft skin. Finally, feeling shaken and small, as if he might vomit at any moment, the pharaoh's lids slowly lifted to peer at them in pure contempt.

Yugi felt a trill run through him at the realization that the other was looking straight through them, listless for a long minute. His pupils were dilated and his red irises had grown shadowed with the darkness cast from his long lashes granted by the firelight. He recognized the look from when Atemu would stare off at something that only he could see while they were growing up. It had been a long while since the last time he had done so, the final of which had been hours of him staring at some corner of his garden around speaking to him. When Yugi had said he didn't see what he did, the monarch had fallen silent and pretended that he had not seen anything either. And now he had that same glassy glaze to his sharp eyes, taking note of everything around him but unable to truly focus, as he had then. But slowly his gaze was beginning to grow clear. A fog seemed to creep out of his dark pupils, his irises sharpening as the boy leaned forward slightly, blinking before narrowing his gaze faintly. Yugi chewed his lip violently, fighting off the urge to fidget in front of him like a piece of prey under the watchful gaze of a predator. His skin twitched, quivering over his muscles, and his stomach shuddered again slowly.

For a moment he thought the pharaoh still did not see them, fixated on something he could not really understand, the red eyes scraping over his grandfather's figure slowly. His deep gaze burned viciously, the intensity of it searing Yugi even though it had yet to crawl over him as well. Mere exposure to it sent his mind into a nervous twitch of confusion and sympathy, all of his body rigid with wonder at what the other could possibly be looking for. His gaze drifted slowly but surely, drawing in every single detail that Shiamun had to offer, and not quite looking through him but truly at him now. He thought maybe he was searching for something in particular and clearly was not finding it, as the twitch in his jaw suggested, but instead of disappointment, the monarch's face twisted into a wide smirk of approval. His eyes, sharp and gleaming with excited cunning and joy, locked with his and the other tried to smile but found his mouth twisting in ways he did not recognize.

"Welcome back," the pharaoh announced, jumping to his feet and starting towards them; Yugi blinked in surprise, startled by the warmth in his voice when he had looked so cold only moments before. The greeting was spoken in a prosperous and excited baritone voice, eyes sparkling as he got to his feet and found his way in front of them almost immediately. His mouth started to open only to have his head snap around when his cousin spoke a small warning in the form of his name.

"At—"

Their eyes locking was enough power to make the other's mouth close immediately, turning away and lowering his head almost like a trained dog. Yugi stared in shock at the display, eyes wide as his gaze shot between them in confusion and silent demand for explanation. What exactly did it mean for the vicious brunet to be so obedient towards his younger cousin? When he had left, the two of them were always at each other's throats with arguments and yet still held some form of impossible friendship. Now all he could see in either gaze was bitter coldness and sharp disdain, a touch of shame and frustration lingering in the high priest's when he raised his head again after a long minute had passed.

He supposed it could have just been that his father's parting had left him irritable enough to bear the weight of it upon his cousin, but he doubted it. It was more likely Seth had stepped too far out of line and Atemu had finally lost any thread of patience for his behavior and lashed out to finish it. But at the same time Yugi couldn't seem to draw this as the conclusion either. Something was more visibly wrong with the situation and he knew it was not just the pharaoh's passing.

His thoughts were gone immediately from that direction, smiling slightly as the red-eyed monarch looked at him almost playfully from the corner of his gaze. The light bouncing into the red orbs made him look even warmer, almost childlike, as if he were dying to pull him into a hug and curl up into his arms and remain there for as long as possible. How many times had they done that before he had left? When his father had first grown sick when Atemu turned twelve? Yugi smiled a little more, insides warming when Atemu trembled a little and couldn't fight off the wide grin, truly looking younger and more playful than he had since his father's illness had struck so suddenly. But he remembered his eyes so much brighter back then and even like this, with the room lit by torches rather than sunlight through the windows in the upper level, he could see shadows there. They looked like weights, permanently marring his otherwise beautiful, regal features. And Yugi had to wonder what it was that weighed him so terribly. Surely he could not be so easily overpowered by his new responsibilities? Yugi knew that while Atemu was stubborn and scarce with the attention he paid to something that was not interesting to him, he had been groomed since almost birth to be able to take the crown immediately after his father's passing. He did not think that it was possible he could be smothered by them now.

"You've been gone a while," the monarch stated, tipping his head to the side to give him that cute boyish grin that always made his heart skip and his stomach flip with warmth. But he could tell that he was using it to mask the rather bare thread of threat that was aimed towards his grandfather, one which the vizier merely dipped his head slightly in acknowledgment towards. Yugi could still feel his gaze burning into his skin even from where they appeared more focused on the second more powerful figure in the room. "Feel free to rest and then tell me of your ventures outside of the palace."

The vizier's grandson swallowed hard, feeling almost sick now at the way Atemu's voice took on a slightly bitter edge that the monarch clearly did not care enough to hide. A restless air settled over the pharaoh's features, his gaze flashing almost violently with resentment, and Yugi closed his eyes briefly, a feeling of bitter mourning slipping through him. He almost felt like he did not recognize the other safe for his physical features, because his eyes were dark and looked sharper than ever, like the blade of a knife he was just waiting to dig into someone's flesh. If it was not for the rich caramel skin tone and the head of hair, the unique ruby shade of his eyes, he probably would never have recognized him.

"Seth, see them to their chambers," the pharaoh snarled suddenly, spinning on his cousin and bristling as if the brunet had just personally offended him somehow. Yugi blinked wide eyes, feeling sick at the thought of having been dismissed like this. He had been hoping to get to speak to the other boy, but he supposed his conversation material was stale now. He had wanted to ask about how his father was doing, but that was obvious enough with the way that his red-eyed son rested so solely on the throne.

"Of course, my pharaoh," Seth hissed, his voice coming out almost shaky for a split second, and Yugi felt his spine grow rigid with shock at the thought. Had he threatened his own cousin? He glanced at the new pharaoh, finding the dark red eyes on his cousin, his lip curled slightly in anger, and Yugi found himself feeling distinctly sick once more.

"My pharaoh…"

The monarch's head swung towards him, eyes wide in surprise at the formal address, and his lips twitched into a frown on the left side in a clear show of displeasure and confusion as they stared at each other. His brows furrowed slightly, eyes narrowing as he continued looking at him. Yugi felt his teeth dig into his lip, about to continue now that he had his attention, but felt the words die in his throat. He could feel the desire to sleep for a little while resting heavily on his shoulders now and the more he considered talking to the other boy, the more laden his body felt. He waited, sure the other would continue, and then shrugged with a slight tilt of his head before turning to his cousin once more as he started over to them reluctantly.

Seth's chin was lowered some respectfully, eyes on Yugi rather than the pharaoh staring back at him coldly. He followed his grandfather and the high priest, feeling distinctly separated and lonely, and glanced back over his shoulder to find red eyes locked on his frame. The pharaoh stared for a moment and then his lips twisted into a small smile, nodding faintly, and making Yugi's stomach flutter as his own mouth curved into a grin.

* * *

"Yugi."

He twitched, feeling his skin sting with momentary discomfort, already picturing the red that would overcome the rich tan it sported. His eyes snapped open in the dark at the repetition of his name, confused and fighting off a wanton dream that left him feeling slightly winded. It took a moment for his eyes to adjust to the sudden addition of the torch the other held in his hand, the light flickering and bouncing around against the alabaster stone that surrounded them. The sheer curtain of white silk that served as a canopy reflected some of the light and gave him the silhouette of someone he at first thought was possibly the pharaoh before the light twisted and flared again. His tired mind nearly voiced the name that lingered on his lips but he bit it down immediately when he realized that the height was wrong, that the hair was amiss. The fact that he wore none of the pharaoh's clothing spelled out the same and Yugi yawned softly as he shifted forward slightly. He pulled the canopy aside some, feeling the soft silk strands as cool and light as the wind against his hand.

"The pharaoh wishes for you to meet him in his chambers," Seth hissed at him, blue eyes glinting in the darkness, the light of the torch only making his face look hauntingly annoyed and vicious. If Yugi was not more politically powerful than him, he had no doubt the brunet would have turned his wrath on him now that he could not do so his younger cousin. Atemu was safe with the power of the pharaoh, protected by all means, and Seth turning a hand on him as he had when they were younger would mean his death without hesitation.

Yugi was grateful for that at least. Because even if his own status had not been higher than that of Seth's, he was still his cousin's lover. That fact alone granted him privileges even more than that of what he already possessed as being the sole successor of Shiamun as the vizier. He had been picked personally by Atemu's father, after all, so no one could turn their nose at the decision as they might have had Atemu himself decreed it at some point. Being so politically empowered meant that Seth had to obey him as he did Atemu, though no one was foolish enough not to realize that to turn against him would gain Atemu's wrath tenfold what anger they would have received simply undermining him.

That was not to say that Yugi could not defend himself if he needed to. Out of the three of them, he was most likely the more dangerous one, though his nature was gentler than either that of Atemu or Seth. He did not enjoy violence and had never made a strike without provocation, something that Atemu seemed to have learned from him. The pharaoh, however, lashed out immediately if he was challenged, always sure to beat someone beneath his feet with words or the occasional physical attack if need be. Seth had always been rather nasty in nature, fed by jealousy that Atemu had been born to take the throne when it had been declared a possibility that he would be crowned the heir when the queen had seemed unable to bear a child. It had never been exactly stated that he would be given the throne at any rate but some of the priests had acted as if it were his gods' very gift. Between the lies and Atemu's more passive nature growing up, he had grown nastier to the point of lashing out like a wild animal at times. He had obviously settled at some point, put in his place sometime while he and his grandfather had been gone.

The disdain in his voice was not lost to him as Yugi slowly blinked and rubbed his eyes tiredly, taking a moment to truly sit up and stretch his legs some. His muscles ached sharply, the burn of his skin more pronounced in this new position, the actions drawing on his fatigue as the moments passed. The misplaced pleasure of his dreams drove him to focus more on the way the firelight danced around the room and cast their shadows dark and long across the white walls. The flickering torch's light burned red behind his lids, giving him more of a reason to focus, and he rubbed his eyes once more before shaking his head slowly. He yawned softly once more, blinking and then looking at the other as the priest put on a show of very deliberately slowing the action of glancing over his shoulder.

" _Quickly_ ," Seth snapped, cold eyes glittering and making his skin crawl as the flames reflected in his pupils and made them shrink momentarily. Yugi watched him for a moment, curious about the way he seemed to be almost nervous with the task of seeking him out, and struggled to get to his feet. Even without the light, he had memorized that searing hatred for him in the blue gaze, the way that he had always looked down at him as if he were a piece of commoner scum rather than Atemu's future vizier.

The brunet turned on his heel immediately and Yugi rose to his feet more fully, the sting to his skin burning but doing nothing to slow him as he followed closely behind. It was beyond his tired mind to even attempt to bother with the task of conversation, knowing already without thought that he would not be pleased with anything Seth had to say anyways. The high priest was as cold as the Nile's water and as shallow in emotions as Atemu's pond in the garden, only hatred and disgust truly making a dent in his usually unreadable expression. And besides, the priest would likely rather stab him through the eye with the rod he wielded than make small talk with him.

Yugi knew the pathway to Atemu's chamber by heart, though he suffered a moment of confusion within his exhausted mind as he followed the other male. In the amount of time he had been away with his grandfather, they had been accepted into homes without much thought past serving the pharaoh in keeping them both well attended. It may not have been even slightly as pleasing to the eye as the palace, but it had not been too terrible. The only true loss was that of not being around Atemu and possibly having a more peaceful night's sleep than what was offered with the Nile so close.

Its waters had crashed against the dense green banks so often in the night that it had at one point awoken him in alarm at the thought of horse hooves being beaten into sand. It had sounded as if an army were passing through, right behind the open windows and leaving him breathless as he struggled to regain his bearings. His grandfather had been sleeping restfully, the only reason he had not woken someone else to sound alarm; Shiamun would have been awake and leading him off if that had been the case. But at the time, he had been unsure and discontent with the noise as he remembered soft whispered rumors spread amongst the palace for superstitious ears. He had heard of the possibility of a foreign king wanting to rise up against Atemu's father before but he had also heard that the deceased pharaoh had managed negotiations. Rumors had spread first amongst the harem with the thought that his son had been promised off to the princess but no one could say if it was true or not. Even Atemu himself had no real idea as his father had never mentioned it to him before.

But Yugi was almost sure it was simply a rumor because, had it been true, the princess would be there by now. She would have been named the queen of Egypt, uniting both kingdoms to ensure the safety of his people. But then again, Egypt had been peaceful both politically and economically for centuries now, both lands united under one pharaoh and no opposing power to truly stand against them.

Yugi was also well aware that if Atemu had been betrothed then he would never have had a choice of who he consummated his rite of coming to age with. Yugi wondered, however, how the other had actually managed to hold off on the union that was needed for his coronation as the new pharaoh as it was.

Yugi shook the thought off, not wanting to even consider Atemu being taken away from him to be married to some woman for the sole task of bearing children. It was his choice to have as many lovers as he wished, no matter the gender or status, and if he was married, he would have been kept as his lover on the side.

If Yugi had not grown up in the palace with his grandfather and visited the pharaoh so often at night, he would have become lost. The palace was very intricately done, with many hallways that would certainly leave an invader lost and confused. With the firelight that reflected off the walls, it gave off a glare almost as harsh as the sun, and the shadows that flickered about gave the illusion of more walls and chambers than actually existed. It gave off a show of power and displacement that could leave even himself somewhat undone with the task of navigation.

He followed him along the hallways, Seth seeming almost reluctant to even walk properly or perhaps too tired to bother. Yugi watched him sweep along the halls, staying a pace behind him and casting a sideways glance towards a flickering image of artwork on the walls that showed of bright green like the Nile's lush shores. It took only a moment for him to recognize the image even in the torchlight, smiling as he took in the painting of the river and the palm trees that decorated its banks. A few animals were shown in the thick river reeds, a jackal and an eagle, with even a lion that seemed to be chasing a zebra.

Yugi gave the priest a small frown of apprehension, feeling a sense of unease creeping through him as he took in his irate mood. If he was so angry, what mood would his red-eyed cousin be in? He would hope that Atemu would not be upset, though he was impatient and Yugi had to wonder if the time spent looking at the paintings or to wake up fully would stroke at his temper. If his mood even slightly mirrored that of the brunet's, he was going to leave as soon as was physically possible. He knew the pharaoh would argue for the sake of keeping him there but he would not try to force him to remain with him.

He hoped it would be a far friendlier visit to his chambers than something like solely wanting an in-depth description of what had happened while they had completed their task. He had not been able to witness anything as it was, so any details he had to offer forth would be terribly scarce and weak, nothing worth actually listening to. Yugi had an idea that Shiamun had been given a sign and that alone gave him a hint of suspicion towards his grandfather's actions. Now that he truly took time to consider it, he had to wonder if perhaps his hesitance had been towards more than just keeping them safe on the journey home. He thought perhaps that he had been more than a tiny bit reluctant towards coming home to report to their newly-crowned monarch. He was still unsure of what the errand had even been pointed towards, just that Atemu had gone to his grandfather for completion of a sacrifice to the gods. It was not something that would have happened if it had not been terribly important and disgustingly secretive. And Yugi was still unsure why he had been brought as well, considering the fact that he was not even his vizier yet.

Seth wove his way through the carved mud bricks, all of them decorated with symbols that made Yugi feel warm and far more welcome than he had his whole trip away. More fully the walls were covered in animal drawings, with some of the shadow monsters from the other realm marking pathways amongst the halls. A few carvings of the gods made up another wall, beautifully done and commanding the attention of all onlookers that walked before them. They rested in the center of the stones, a couple of feet off the ground with Horus the largest in the center of the statues. He recognized the longer pathway Seth was leading him through. With sand polished and the strong scent of burning incense, the palace gave off an air of power and divinity that would make an outsider quake. Yugi smiled at the thought, shaking his head fondly at the thought of the various times he had found Atemu lost when he was younger. He had been unable to navigate the various passages though now he knew it like the back of his hand and every inch of Yugi's skin.

He glanced at the scarab and jackal carvings along the bottom of the stone wall, emblazoned in bright gold paint, almost as glorious as the metal itself. His eyes dragged upwards towards a few drawings of frogs, bright green with the largest of eyes, and proud falcons that lined the wall like winged soldiers. Sharp beaks and talons like swords made him shiver for a brief moment, smiling again; it was one of Atemu's favorites as well as the jackal and the scarab.

The hallway grew narrow and short as they passed the corridor of the main entrance. The colors decorating the walls in numerous pictures and countless designs were now drawn only to depict gods. He spotted Ra and Horus, Anubis and Ma'at at once and smiled slightly at the thought before shaking his head and turning away again to follow more closely.

The silence was broken only by Seth's sandals hitting the heavily trodden sand floor, echoing gently and making him shiver. The night air was cooler than it had been for a while, the palace offering more shelter than that of the houses that he and his grandfather had found themselves in formerly.

He was unnerved by this pathway only because of the irritation Seth gave off from where he wandered in front of him. He had taken this very same way to Atemu's room only a handful of times but his memory still served him well in giving him directions to take to the other boy's chambers. Most often he had chosen the much shorter path, desperate for the length of time to be halved and not to worry about being caught by his grandfather or Atemu's father. All of those times but twice Atemu had crept out and met him in the middle, always sneaking out the longer way after a certain time in night when the guards were no longer paying attention. Whereas Yugi would normally have just passed through one door and slipped down the corridor to find the other's bedchambers, now he felt entirely exhausted once more. He took a moment to glance around once, nearly running into the wall where Seth was turning the corner, and then felt his stomach sink slightly.

"Seth," he murmured, never one to try to smooth the brunet's ruffled ego by addressing him more properly, "why are we going this way? The other would have been far shorter."

The priest held a hand up for silence as they slipped through another small room that made up a mass of pathways, with hallways every other direction. He tilted his head, unsure of why he was told to be quiet or whether he should obey the younger boy. His attention fell upon the darkened hallways, the narrow strips of sand and columns that separated them, and then turned back slowly. Yugi knew as well as the priest that no one was around, that any conversation held between them would have no other audience than the two of them.

They slipped through the two doors that marked the entrance of a rather small audience chamber, used more discreetly by Atemu to merely play games. He was often his opponent for such little tasks, specifically sought out at times and having his studies cut into more than once. Other times his grandfather sufficed and Yugi would occasionally watch them play until Atemu would win. He was still unsure of how he managed it, but the younger boy had almost always won games that required strategy and skill versus anything physical. He was small built, with taut muscles under his skin, but he was faster than he was strong so most often he used wits and speed instead of weight or muscle to play fight.

Animal drawings lined the walls, several of them cats before Bastet, the goddess whose form was most often that of a feline. Anubis rested before some jackals, depicted as one himself with a long scarf of gold that wrapped twice around a broad neck and melded into his forechest and the front of his long legs like a second coat of fur against black. The god was skinny but larger than his companions, built more like a palace dog than a wild canine, but Yugi had never thought much of the drawing. Atemu was the one who always pointed it out with a scornful, "He doesn't even _look_ like a jackal. He looks like one of my dogs. Bastet looks more like a jackal than he does."

Yugi had never been able to suppress laughter at the memory, always snorting at the thought because of the way Atemu's young stubborn face appeared in his mind. Why he was so heavily offended by the artwork had always been a mystery to him, but Atemu never had an answer beyond "He just looks ridiculous".

He snickered softly and then glanced over his shoulder momentarily, frowning as he turned back. He was tired and the thought of going this long way made him want to turn back, though he had to admit they were about halfway there. But it would have been so much easier for his tired mind if they had gone the other way. He was growing weary now, his skin beginning to draw forth a sharper sting to annoy him with. If not for the fact that he was halfway there and that he was going to see the other, he would have turned away immediately and gone his own way to find him. It was not as if he needed Seth's torch to guide his steps anyways; after so many escapades between them, he knew how to get around in the darkness without much effort. Of course, with the tiredness lapping at his senses like an eager dog, it might have been a better idea to stick with the brunet and use him as his unwilling guide to the red-eyed monarch's room.

The audience chamber they passed was smaller, thinner in design, and the walls actually held more paintings that consisted of something rather war-like, coming into existence long before Atemu or his father had come to throne. The walls were given coatings of colors that made them beautiful despite the weapons and soldiers painted there, the slaves from the war on the floor given life in paler shades than the victors. The chamber gave way to another set of them, of walls painted bright blue and green with some red used to give it more intricate designs, swirls and mist-like brushes of paint. Horus and Ra and one small depiction of Anubis rested on the farthest wall, where one would be seated or standing beneath it depending on the festivities going on. His stomach sank as they continued walking, his eyes wandering along the walls for a split second as he took in the archway of paved sand and mud bricks that gleamed and glistened with glittering shards of stone. The firelight bounced effortlessly, a few small gleams of light pouncing into his eyes and making his vision blur for a moment, too tired to truly connect the two things. His heart lurched as they continued walking, swallowing hard and feeling his throat strained as it burned his muscles with the action. Something about the entire palace seemed miserable and discontent now, as if all of the air had grown thicker, weighing heavily on his body and making his lungs feel restricted and hard to use. Tiredly he cast a glance over his shoulder before finally turning back to follow the priest with a disgruntled sensation, swallowing hard again in discomfort.

Seth glanced at him now, giving him a sharp look to keep his mouth shut though Yugi never made a move to open it once more. He was well aware of others sleeping around him and he had no wishes to wake any of them when they were still all important to the palace's peace. To spite him, the smaller thought of hissing loudly but failed to open his mouth as his eyes drifted over the sleeping forms scattered across the room, lying underneath woolen blankets and resting fitfully. He tilted his head, unsure of himself when the light flickered across their faces to show an emotion that he had not expected to find there. Several of the faces were marred with despair even in their sleep, twitches pronouncing their distress even in rest, eyelids seeming to feather and flutter in the dancing light, and their brows were drawn together slightly. He swallowed hard, feeling his mouth grow dry at the wonder of what could have possibly happened while he and his grandfather had been gone for that seemingly endless month. Everything seemed a little wrong, strange as could be and just generally upsetting to be exposed to. For a split second he wondered what Atemu could have possibly done to make the palace seem almost foreign to him, but despite the gleam of ice that coated his once friendly gaze, he could find nothing to justify the thought.

The pharaoh was not cruel by any means. He was—unless it came to Yugi and even slightly being alluded towards sharing his attention for more than a few seconds—just and fair, a trait that he had inherited from his father and mother before she had died three years after his birth. At two years older than the pharaoh, Yugi remembered her well, though his interactions with her had been rather brief. She had been gentle and soft-spoken and it had been rather clear why her husband had loved her more than anyone else. The two of them had remained more or less the other's, though Yugi had always heard those whispered rumors that they had been with others during the king's reign.

He had never believed it, because they had never shown interest in others and the pharaoh had only used the harem before his coronation, so it had never truly made any sense to him. Rumors had circulated nonetheless and Yugi had wondered once or twice whether their son would be more like his older ancestors or his own parents with his choice of a single lover or more than one. As far as he knew, the boy was picky and selective and only had eyes for one other person, so he had never really focused on it for longer than it took for the whispers to pass through one ear and out the other. As far as Yugi had ever known, he was the single person that Atemu had ever really paid attention to or even so much as glanced at with more than a brief, disinterested look. It was the reason that he had been selected specifically and without competition as the pharaoh's future vizier when Shiamun finally stepped down and retired.

They slipped into the garden where the plants and golden-and-red-painted columns greeted him with a warm scent like honey and sunlight. Moonlight drizzled onto the stone, dancing across the tranquil waters with soft ripples of white and silver that made him shiver with delight, the lily pads on its surface gleaming as if embalmed with starlight. In the sunlight the glare of the stones surrounding the plants and the pool of water was harshest when it was midday, but turned beautiful shades of red and gold when the sun rose or fell. The silver glistening of light offered in the open area of stone painted it a soft cobalt, glittering as if it were some kind of ethereal kingdom, glorious in shades of soft, cold wonder.

He turned with Seth after a moment, eyes falling on the pool once more and remembering many nights he had spent in the cool waters with the red-eyed monarch. The younger boy had always been enraptured with the cool water, pulling him in with him whenever he got the chance, sometimes even cutting their nightly lovemaking short to drag him over to it. The crisp green lily pads were distinctly familiar to him after watching Atemu play with them when he found himself too tired to keep the other boy's sole attention. Most of the time it was simply just because the conversation was lagging that he would start to pull the plants into his hands and stroke at the soft leaves, tracing the veins that lay there.

Yugi shook off the memories to follow Seth, knowing that soon enough, even if Atemu seemed slightly estranged to him at the moment, he would find himself in his company in mere minutes. Regardless of whatever was eating at the pharaoh's attention, he was sure he could at least give him a small bit of happiness in just coming to his chambers as he had asked of him. They scanned the walls, Yugi taking a moment to admire the swirls of color that made up decorations of the columns to his left, gleaming in the moonlight and giving it a ghostly glow, and both of them spotted the second doorway. The curved archway was given small tendrils of golden paint in curves while the dark brown door seemed unwelcoming but held slightly ajar for them to be able to slip in almost effortlessly.

Only once they slipped into the hallway and Yugi took in the various drawings of each gods, of beautiful depictions of nature and animals spread out through the desert littering the walls, did he realize that Seth had refused his question. He narrowed his eyes, baring his teeth behind his lips and feeling his jaw clench in annoyance at the concept of being ignored like this. If he really wanted to, both were well aware that he could pull rank and demand he answer. He was, after all, the grandson of Vizier Shiamun Muran and he was the second most powerful in the palace, resting just beneath the pharaoh. Being Atemu's lover as well meant that he would have no choice but to answer. He could make Seth speak, as both of them were well aware and Yugi would not let him soon forget.

He blinked slowly at the thought, eyes widening as he swallowed hard and chewed his thumbnail for a split second, shaking his head momentarily. The incense was warm and harsh where it rested on its upwards podium of metal set up In parallels along both corners of the corridor. He was distinctly overwhelmed at the concept of taking his grandfather's place at any point in his life, the sensation slowly dying away as he continued in Seth's footsteps and pushed away any thought of rank. Sorrow lapped at his insides at the very idea despite his efforts to push it away, lowering his head slightly at the shame that chased his former thoughts.

He followed him through the doorway that fell beneath the arch to his right, warmed immediately by the thought of seeing the other again. Parallel to each other, the hallway to the pharaoh's chambers rested across from the altar where the priests would make a small morning sacrificial ritual with the pharaoh's watching eyes overseeing all of it. The ceremony was for show, as far as he could tell, without much else but burning incense of different types to welcome the gods once more into the palace. A massive stone tablet almost the length of the wall rested in front of the back wall, with engravings of the gods and the pharaohs, with priests and the magicians lining the far sides like columns of bodies.

He shuddered, pushing away the image of the stone tablet and the carvings that were burned drastically in his mind from years spent in there with Atemu overseeing the rituals when his father had grown sick. Yugi licked his lip, wishing he had some water, and wondered curiously if the young monarch would have some in his chambers. Odds were he would, as the servants were consistent with keeping it within his reach for whenever he wished to drink.

He smiled in amusement when he caught sight of the pharaoh who, as he should have guessed, was pacing restlessly at the entrance of the room. The sheer mahogany veil resting as a canopy to the entrance of his room highlighted each of his moments, making his shadow more pronounced and causing a small snicker to leave his lips.

Atemu's head snapped up, turning immediately, and he could already feel his eyes locked on his face even as he started to pull the sheer material away some to allow him entrance. Seth did not follow and Yugi glanced over his shoulder momentarily, curious at that fact, while Atemu merely watched him for a moment and then turned his attention to his cousin, voice disdainful but soft with gratitude.

"Thank you. You are dismissed, Seth."

The brunet looked ready to argue but nodded instead, huffing too quietly for the pharaoh to catch as he turned and wandered off. Yugi noticed immediately that this time Seth took the shorter way, recognizing just by the turn he took in the corridor which direction he sought. Yugi watched until the light pronouncing the flame of the torch the other held was completely gone, startled when he felt fingers brush gently against his.

"By the gods, Yugi, straighten your back," Atemu complained playfully, crossing his arms and scowling at him though his eyes were shining with laughter and a slight bit of firm scorn. The future vizier rolled his eyes, recognizing the playfulness that always existed within the other boy when they were together.

"Yes, my pharaoh," he muttered, scoffing softly but forcing his spine to lose some of its tension to straighten his posture some. The other boy purred faintly, a low rumble that was so familiar he wished he could melt into its embrace, and then smiled warmly, reaching out to brush their fingers together again. Yugi immediately moved to catch them in his own, twining them momentarily as Atemu tilted his head with his brow raised.

"I am Atemu to you, little one," the pharaoh murmured, gazing at him fondly though he thought he could see chips of ice lingering in his deep red eyes. Yugi blinked before smiling in response, warmed slightly by the statement if only because of how many memories crept through him immediately at the term of endearment. It only came about because Yugi slouched so often and so made himself look smaller when they really stood at the same height, something that his grandfather always snickered about.

"I wasn't sure if you wanted me to use your name or not," he admitted, wandering around him and towards the canopied bed, the slip of sheer silk held by a large block of gold that made up the frame of the furniture. It stood at almost twice their height, even taller than Atemu's cousin, and wide enough to support four people with inches of room between them. The structure of the bed beneath the sheer canopy was carved gold that, with such spacious design and outstretched features to support it, looked almost like a stretched out dog. He could easily picture the animal leisurely straining to give each muscle a stretch, back legs as far away as they could reach from the forelegs, the footboard spiraling upwards like twin tails raised and curled inwards. The headrest looked like the animal had raised its head, stretching its neck out completely and ears were perked as its muzzle tipped a little further up.

Yugi stared at it momentarily, glancing at Atemu sideways to find that he looked a little frustrated by the bed itself before his head jerked to the side in a clear dismissal and warning that he did not want to talk about it. Atemu had moved into the room several months before he and Shiamun had gone on their errand to make the sacrifice to Anubis. He knew the bed well enough, as did Atemu, from nights they had spent either whispering secrets to each other or staking claims on the other through physical contact.

Yugi took a seat, reaching over to run his fingers over dark blue glass, the ivory beams that connected it to the frame beneath. The legs were edged with gold foil that laced its way upwards along the back, wrapping around the glass of the headrest and giving it a strange wicked glint in the light that came from the torch resting against the far wall. He could already see the linen that had been placed upon the left beam of the headrest, helping to cloak it for Atemu to rest more comfortably. The fact that he hadn't done the same with the right said that he probably expected Yugi to take that side, though the odds were more likely that they would be in the middle of the bed rather than anywhere near the sides. Atemu was known for snuggling and he was more likely to take a spot in the center of the bed and hold him captive there than he was to let him take one side over the other.

He gestured him over when Atemu turned his head again and the new pharaoh snorted in amusement, rolling his eyes as he took up the task of plopping down at his side, curling on his left flank. Yugi watched him as he braced his weight on his left elbow, reaching over to run his fingers down his side in little gossamer touches that made him squirm.

"I gave you my blessing to use it as you wished, Yugi," he stated quietly after a long minute of silence that only the sound of the flame on the opposite wall, leaping and dancing, cut through. A soft crackle made the older boy glance at the torch before he turned back to him immediately again. The rather sheer mahogany sheets shifted somewhat under their weight as the pharaoh continued tracing paths across his clothing and tugged lightly on the thin material. His attention caught on the other boy's again, Yugi felt his stomach drop and he fought back the urge to swallow thickly at the way that the pharaoh's eyes were narrowed into slits of gleaming red. His pupils stretched to engulf some of his irises with the touch of shadow that came with the thin gap between his long black lashes, making his skin crawl slightly. Yugi was suddenly keenly aware that he could see the coldness in those dark eyes growing and his stomach tossed violently at the realization. Was he angry at him because he had hesitated to use his name? Or was it something else entirely?

Yugi was unsure of whether he wished it to be something he was familiar with or for it to be completely foreign and thus unobtainable to him. It was a horrible thought in the first place that Atemu even had to have such a thing happening to him to make him feel such coldness. Maybe Atemu's political stature would prove too much for him to be able to adequately help with or maybe it had already demonstrated itself to be too much for the younger boy to even handle despite being raised for this sole purpose as the son of the pharaoh.

"Good point," Yugi murmured, ignoring the small sense of dread that made his heart feel heavy and reaching over to run his fingers over the other's pulse. He twisted on the bed, shifting his weight and moving to face him more fully as Atemu purred like the she-cat that he could see resting in a basket in the corner of the room beneath one of the torch's perches. His red eyes widened momentarily before fluttering, narrowing into gleaming slits, and Yugi laughed lightly, smiling widely in amusement as the pharaoh sank into his gentle touch as he always did. The monarch tipped his head in a gesture for him to reach higher and Yugi snorted in amusement, tracing a new pattern up and down the column of his neck and feeling him shiver in delight.

Atemu may have been powerful, both physically and politically, but he was an absolute baby when he was alone with him. The pharaoh tended to melt and fold to his will, eager to please him and worm his way further into his heart as if he could get any deeper. Yugi had never truly been able to stay mad him though at times they had clashed and Atemu had childishly told him once or twice that he hated him and wanted to feed him to a crocodile. Being the older of the two of them and apparently far more mature mentally—according to his grandfather—Yugi had always been able to take that statement easily and draw him in again without too much effort.

Yugi cast a small glance around, both relieved and dismayed to find that Atemu had made the chamber solely his, though he could see that the younger boy had worked to have it assembled to resemble his father's. All of the former pharaoh's items had been stripped away to be buried with him inside of his tomb, but he recognized the layout of the room as Atemu did. A few vases rested on cross-legged stools situated around a large column, a small burning incense between them. The Eye of Ra made up the crest of the entrance of the room, holding up the mahogany sheet that rested behind the wood of the door, and Horus decorated the sides beyond it, making no mistake of who or where Atemu came from. He took in the candlesticks and feather-stuffed cushions that rested on a small table where another vase sat with Hathor and Bes. Game boards sat in another corner on one of the stools and golden molds of animals such as the jackal, Osiris's dragon form, Ra's dragon form, lions, and a stray cheetah were spread out among the room in seemingly random places. He glanced towards another sheet that was draped as an exit that gave way to a few more smaller chambers that held most of his jewelry though he could see the crown and the Puzzle laying near the she-cat fast asleep in her nest of blankets.

He had seen the doors opened to their limits when they had come to the entrance and knew Atemu would have had them done away with completely if not for privacy. The pharaoh had always hated being in any space with the doors closed, though he did enjoy having the option to shut others out so freely. Chances were, however, that Atemu had made the choice to strip down the doors of the other smaller chambers. And he noticed that the doorway was clear for him to look through at anytime he wished, something that made him smile in amusement. Atemu had always been one of those children that needed to have a room to move around and closed doors were never something he fancied aside from blocking the two of them from view and muffling their union at night.

He was tempted to ask but decided against it, figuring he would find out at some point later, whenever Atemu actually did wish to do more than talk, which he assumed was not what was happening now. Otherwise he was rather sure the pharaoh would have been trying to ravage him by now and he would be reminding him just who was the older, more dominant between them.

He traced a new pattern and Atemu leaned more deeply into the touch, letting out a soft whine of a noise before purring when he repeated the motion. He could feel the tremors of the deep rumble against the tip of his finger, making him shiver in delight at the sensation as he turned back to him and smirked in amusement.

Atemu had always been a picky boy growing up and he had scarcely spoken for the most part, unless it was to argue adamantly or sneer at his cousin or let out his frustration in wordless noise when he got hurt or he lost in a duel with Seth. Past that he had been rather silent, always more reserved and listening but not really contributing. He was more like a predator, observing for weakness and tugging at it when he got the chance when a fight broke out with another, but past being challenged over something, he rarely acted on anything. Yugi had found him peculiar but sweet growing up, not the least bit loud but always thinking and giving little noiseless sneers when people irritated him.

Yugi had met him when he was two and Atemu had yet to speak, some of them rumoring that he was mute. It was a serious issue if he was meant to be the pharaoh seeing as he would be unable to command others or give blessings to the gods at the temples if he could not speak a word. When they crossed paths, at first Atemu was completely silent but Yugi had known he was watching him because he could feel it and when he looked over the heir hadn't even bothered to look away. He hadn't bothered with the general modesty that a two-year-old would have shown, ducking his head and looking away and spying on him occasionally until he looked again, and that had not changed at all. Atemu still stared at him blatantly, occasionally giving him little smirks and mischievous glances, no matter who the audience was though he supposed that would change some now that he was officially pharaoh.

Atemu had often been joined at the hip with him when they were younger and that had not changed too much while they had grown. Between the first initial meeting in which Atemu had finally opened his mouth and started to make noise to get his attention, calling him "Yu" and "Gi"—the only noises he knew how to make at the time due to being so quiet—when he started to walk off with Shiamun, and now, it was still rather constant.

Status and learning had made it a littler harder for them to stay as close to each other physically at times—as Atemu had made a point of having happen any chance he got, even throwing fits when he couldn't see him as the day went on—but it had done nothing to weaken the bond that Atemu had suddenly formed with him that day. Yugi was still unsure of why he had done so, choosing to spend time with him and mimicking him so that he actually _could_ learn to speak since his teachers did not seem to keep his attention long enough to instill anything. The future vizier was more or less sure that Atemu had learned most of everything he needed to by copying him and listening intently to him when he spoke. For whatever reason, the younger boy had clung to him, choosing him out of everyone he interacted with or knew, and rarely concentrated when he was being taught by another growing up.

Yugi watched his eyelids twitch, eyes glazed with happiness, and slowly pulled his fingers away after a moment, biting his lip to keep from laughing as Atemu blinked in confusion and then stared at him blankly. It took a long minute for his eyes to clear completely, blinking once more before snatching his hand around the wrist and pressing his fingers insistently against his pulse point.

"Yugi," he growled a moment later, narrowing his eyes and huffing loudly as Yugi snickered and reveled in the way that his pulse jumped with irritation and the close proximity to him.

"Ooh, he's got the deep voice going on," he snorted, smirking playfully and watching as Atemu scowled, a pout forming almost immediately after. "Guess that means I should listen."

"Yes, you should. Ra decrees it! Now rub my neck."

He rolled his eyes, laughing when Atemu leaped at him, pressing him against the sheets and growling low in his throat. His fingers worked at his shoulders, digging lightly into his skin through the thin material of his clothing, but did nothing to bruise or cause harm.

"I said rub my neck."

"Rub your own neck."

"I can't! I don't do it right—you do it right. Now…rub me right."

Yugi snickered loudly, rolling his eyes and smiling warmly when the pharaoh narrowed his eyes. "You have other plans tonight?" he teased.

The monarch raised a brow elegantly and sniffed indignantly. "With you? Ha. You won't even rub my neck right. How could you expect me to want your company in bed if you won't even do that?" he scoffed, wrinkling his nose and pulling away from him to sit up with his chin raised and a childish pout on his lips, head turned away as he made another indignant noise.

The older boy was actually offended for a split second, stung by the comment and left wondering once more how much had changed since he had departed with his grandfather. Had Atemu experienced pleasure with others or had he remained his? He knew if he was forced to do so, he would have no chance of arguing, and he could hardly blame him, but Yugi thought he might die if he had done it by choice. The first thing he had said to him when he had told him that he wanted him to go with Shiamun was that he would wait for him. Yugi had not even asked him to do so but if he had gone back on his promise, he knew it would take a while for him to not feel the sting that came with such a betrayal.

Atemu made no move to acknowledge his frustration, and Yugi knew he noticed because the red-eyed pharaoh had always been keen on missing nothing when it came to him. Instead the pharaoh watched him, not the least bit alarmed by the slight air of growing irritation he gave off. But the older boy realized belatedly that Atemu perhaps didn't take note of it because he had merely been teasing and had no reason to think that he had struck a blow or put him on edge in any way. And, instead of being even slightly put off by his new attitude, the younger reached over to pull on his smallest bang which sat in the middle of the fringe of jagged yellow hair, a softer, warmer, almost younger appearance to Atemu's own.

Yugi couldn't help but melt into the familiar action, fighting off laughter at the childish touch, something that Atemu had always done when they were younger. It was like a security for the youthful boy, something he always did when they were alone or Yugi was about to scold him for doing something incredibly stupid as he had sometimes been prone to do. He had made such a habit of it that at times he had heard whispers from Atemu's father and his grandfather that that piece of hair was officially the younger boy's property. He had been teased relentlessly by Shiamun who later said it was a testament of how close they were, that Atemu had claimed him when he was so young and still continued to play with that little clump of hair.

Yugi had actually expected that to be the first thing that Atemu would do when he returned. He had pictured him finding him before he even got to the throne room, running over and tugging on the bang, and then walking him back to his chambers. Had his father still been alive, Yugi had no doubt that Atemu would have been wandering the palace rather than seated somewhere, would have spotted him immediately as if he had called his name, and then done exactly that. But being the crowned monarch now, Atemu had appearances to keep up and the show of childish affection was not something that said he was powerful and worthy of the title as the pharaoh.

He had always thought that, because of his age and despite how smart he was and his status as being the only heir that had survived, Atemu's power would be challenged nothing short of immediately. He would not be surprised if it had already happened at some point as it was. It could explain why Seth suddenly seemed so afraid of him like this. If the brunet had challenged him and Atemu had won, it could have meant his death or the stripping of his power as a priest, but obviously neither of those had happened. Atemu must have spared him—if that was what had happened in the first place, anyways. He would probably be kept wondering as far as that went.

He grinned and batted his hand away, watching Atemu stick his tongue out with a petulant pout before he rolled over and rested on his back, watching him lazily from the corner of his eye. "I'm glad you're back," he murmured so quietly that Yugi almost did not catch it.

He swallowed roughly, nodding and giving him as warm a look as he could. "I am too. I missed you."

"You better have," the pharaoh scoffed playfully, pulling on his bang again and then relaxing lazily once more. Settled so comfortably like this, Yugi could almost see his childhood stretched out in front of him again, eyes of bright red and a boy who refused to stay still even for him. His face looked softer and warmer, more like he remembered, and his mouth was curved into that same mischievous smile he had grown to love more than anything. The only real change in that moment was his voice which had changed three years ago, growing deep and warm with an oddly wistful edge that sometimes hurt his heart to hear.

He narrowed his eyes and pounced on him, throwing the younger deeper into the soft sheets and woolen blankets, making him huff a breath out as he blinked in shock. Yugi grinned widely, straddling the other boy who flushed faintly in the torchlight around them before trying to push him away. They rolled a couple of times towards the end of the bed and Atemu squirmed beneath him, writhing like a snake to get out of his grip.

"Got you," Yugi snickered, smirking and winking as he moved off of him. The pharaoh snorted loudly, huffing in embarrassment and a small sting to his pride that made him blush faintly. It was a surprise to neither of them that the older boy had won; he always had when they play fought. He had always managed to pin him down and tease him about it and no matter how hard he tried to change that, Yugi always wound up on top. It didn't matter if he tried to lunge at him when he wasn't looking or immediately after he turned his back on him. The vizier's grandson was like a snake with far more control of his body than Atemu had, squirming as if he was boneless and managing to flip them over at a moment's notice. They were the same size and still the other always got to pin him with little to no effort on his behalf. Then again, Yugi had always been better at fighting than he had, hand-to-hand combat or using the stone tablets to summon the monsters from the realm of shadows. The few times that Shiamun or Isis and Mahado instructed them to go up against each other, the red-scaled form of Osiris had been nothing compared to the bright golden dragon Ra. Yugi couldn't keep him for long, however, and Atemu had learned to sustain Osiris for a rather respectable amount of time.

"You just got lucky," he griped good-naturedly.

"Wow, then I must be luckiest boy in all of Egypt if I've managed to pin you down twelve summers in a row," he teased playfully, poking his tongue out as the younger blushed furiously and then scowled, cheeks puffing out like a cat with its mouth full and glaring. Yugi pulled away after a moment, snickering, and twisted wildly when Atemu pounced on him as he knew he would. They rolled straight off the bed, hitting the ground with Yugi straddling him and holding his wrists over his head as he raised his chin with a wide grin. "Luckiest boy in _all_ of Egypt."

Atemu huffed, "Get off me" and untangled his wrists to push him away, voice taking on a harsh tone that made Yugi blink in surprise and pull away with a startled expression. The red-eyed monarch crossed his arms, scowling and breathing out a loud puff of air that made the other laugh in amusement when he realized the pharaoh was merely frustrated with his inability to win at this game. The younger boy turned his face away when he leaned towards him, huffing loudly once more when Yugi moved to face him again. He snorted, once more straddling him before wrapping his arms around his neck and pressing a lingering kiss to his cheek. The younger boy swung his head around so that their lips met just as Yugi had expected, leaning forward eagerly as the older laughed against his mouth.

The younger pulled back after a moment, pushing him away gently with a hand to his chest, and Yugi froze in place for a moment, shocked by the other's dismissal. Reflex made him open and close his mouth to put forth some kind of argument, eyes wide as he blinked in confusion and watched the other raise a brow and frown at him quizzically. He shifted awkwardly from where he was perched on his hips, and fought the sting that started up in his throat, a lump forming there; Atemu had never dismissed him before. Now was probably the time that the other would tell him that he had found a wife or someone more suitable to his tastes, that he no longer wanted him.

"I thought you would be tired from your journey back," he explained slowly, red eyes narrowing and giving the low light a dark corner of color that made his stomach twist. Yugi could feel heat gathering under his skin and his mouth grew momentarily dry as he realized the other was growing suspicious now, his eyes searching his face for any trace of a clue as to what was making him react to him like this. He chewed his lip, watching him, and fought off a wince as Atemu's face grew sharp and his eyes became gleaming shards of bloodied ice, scanning him up and down slowly. He was looking now without any thought to hide his intentions in order to announce to him exactly what he was doing, searching for what exactly had thrown him so much as to look so shaken, but he let it go after a moment. No doubt he saw just how uncomfortable he was and didn't want to press for the moment, instead taking note and keeping it in the forefront of his mind for a conversation at a later time. Yugi also guessed that maybe he could have attributed it to his journey and had not even gotten anywhere near the play that Yugi's thoughts actually lay. "I also thought you would want to sleep, not to make love."

Yugi nodded slightly and shifted awkwardly on his knees, feeling a sting come across his skin now as he blinked and backed up a small step. With the humiliation burning his insides at his foolish misreading, now his legs seemed to flare with protest and discomfort. He had forgotten to ask for some honey, oil, aloe, or cucumber.

Atemu glanced at him curiously for a split second before rolling his eyes and pulling himself out from under him and helping him to his feet without so much as a pause. The action wielded such grace that Yugi was momentarily floored. Atemu may have always been regal and possessed the unparalleled power and ease of a predator, but he had never truly witnessed him use it before him like he did now. It was like he had just been struck with the realization that his new status could have even drawn more of the feral grace he would show to someone potentially weaker than him. He watched him as he wandered off, into a separate chamber where Yugi had to strain his ears to hear him over the soft cackle of the fire whose light flickered with gentle touches of darkness like fingers stroking the air. It gave off little heat but what it lacked in temperature, it made up for in the orange glow to dust away some of his tension with simple familiarity. Atemu returned a moment later, putting a clay pot down in between them and gesturing dismissively for him to help himself, pausing only for a second to pull on his bang and have him swat his hand away with a grin, all of his unease once more forgotten.

"You know me too well," Yugi laughed, blushing hard when Atemu snorted and plopped down on the bed lazily, watching him from beneath his long lashes and allowing the light to jump against his irises. The darkness of his pupils seemed to contract with the additional orange cast, his eyes taking up more of the hue and making one side of each iris the shade of a coming sunrise while the other remained dark like blood.

"I swear you must have the fairest skin. You burn so easily. And you never heed the amount of time spent in the sun," he teased, smirking widely as the other ducked his head and rolled his eyes around a small smile.

"Yeah, well…hush, you."

The other chuckled warmly and watched him as he applied the honey to his skin in smooth strokes, working a thin but effective layer over the tanned flesh. Atemu smirked and snorted loudly when the other boy swiped a handful and started licking it off his fingers happily, something he always did when he got a sunburn. The monarch had learned to keep a jar of honey around in his chambers just in case Yugi got a burn, knowing that it was his preferred method over the other various treatments. He claimed the honey method was more effective with his skin but he had a feeling it was just because he liked to eat handfuls of it and just wouldn't admit it because Atemu would tease him about it relentlessly.

Yugi ignored him aside from occasionally poking out his tongue in his general direction, continuing to apply the honey to his skin while the pharaoh moved to stretch out across his belly and prop his chin in his hands and watch him. The older boy wore the more modest appearance of clothing that the nobles dressed in among the palace, displaying the more minimal need of dress that came with training to become his vizier. It was an outfit akin his own, given an almost identical shenti of pure white cloth, with golden plating on the top that covered most of his chest and shoulders. The waistband of his clothing was just as thick in gold as his own, but a knotted skirt served as the bottom of his outfit whereas Atemu wore a blue sash over the middle that fell to frame the gap of his thighs on both sides. Yugi wore mirroring bands of gold on his arm and wrists, but none of them had the carving of the Eye of Ra or the symbolism that his own possessed where they sat in an inner chamber. The bands around his legs were smaller than his own, as it was imposing to the pharaoh if anyone wore them longer than he. The other boy did not wear earrings, which was something that always fascinated the young monarch, seeing as his earlobes were soft and _whole_ , something he would never admit drove him insane with jealousy. It was such a stupid thing to envy and it often angered him that he was so stupidly thrown and dumbfounded by a simple thing such as that.

Atemu wondered what it would be like if Yugi had his ears pierced and such heavy jewelry to hang from his lobes. He doubted they would be as cute to him as they were now, though he wasn't entirely sure about it, and he was always curious, spending hours at a time with his head unable to move past his open jealousy. He knew Yugi noticed it, the way he lingered there with soft little kisses and nips, always paying them special attention, but he had never mentioned it. He was too sweet to bring up such a disgusting little trait of his, his most annoying flaw by any means.

He shook the thought off, watching as Yugi put the lid back on the clay pot and got to his feet, starting towards him with a finger in his mouth and his lips smacking with a small hum of satisfaction and approval. Atemu rolled his eyes and stretched a hand out, amused when the other grabbed it and settled into the bed next to him without further prompt. He remembered hours of messing with his hair, fascinated with how it looked so much like his own, with how he imagined the crown would look behind his long bangs. He had convinced him only once to wear it for him, right before he had left for the errand, and he was well aware of how unhappy Yugi had become.

His face had twisted, growing uncomfortable as the seconds passed by, eyes lowered to the ground more than they were raised to meet his. He had never been able to get him to wear the Puzzle like he had truly wanted, but that was more because Yugi had drawn the line there immediately before he had even opened his mouth. The crown was okay, but the Puzzle was like treason. Atemu supposed he understood that logic, considering it had been created for his father and passed along to him and Yugi may have been his lover but he wasn't his wife. He couldn't produce an heir, couldn't become the queen of Egypt unless he somehow bent every rule known to the palace and the pharaoh's laws to do so. Because of this, Yugi had refused openly but had allowed him—for whatever reason, Atemu still questioned it all with such confusion that it drove him mad to focus on it for more than a handful of minutes at a time—to dress him in the crown. Even the cape had been worn splendidly that day before he had undressed him again, making love to him the last time before he left with Shiamun the next day.

He wondered vaguely if he could get him to wear the small crown that he had worn at ceremonies, with the much less imposing wings of Ra. It had rested around his ears, a thin band connecting the two golden carvings of feathers spread in a downward motion with only one upwards just above the shell of each ear. It ran behind his bangs, doing nothing to disturb them or even show amongst the yellow of his hair like the new crown he wore.

Atemu shook the thought off; maybe he could get him to at another time, but now wasn't even worth the moment it took to wonder about it. Instead he reached forward to run a finger over the cold gold of the plate that ran around his chest and shoulders. It was layered with more intricate pieces, with a thin band above and below each bit of metal to demand the attention of bystanders, with sharp rectangular shapes carved to give it more depth. He ran his fingers over it for a moment longer, smiling slightly in amusement, and then gave him a warm grin.

The older boy moved to press their hips together, their thighs touching and their flanks only moments away from brushing if Atemu only settled to rest next to him. When he pulled his fingers away and finally looked at the other boy, he found those warm blue-violet eyes locked on the carvings of the inside of his bed's frame where the canopy was held in place. His own eyes reluctantly rose to the deep blue and black, silver and gold lunar calendar, each day marked by a god on the inside, making an inner ring of silver to the massive blue orb that showed the months and hours for anyone's leisure. Priestesses and high priests encircled it, arms raised to hold it as if they were holding the very world or the sun, the moon, the night sky. Decorating the deep blue calendar were silver etchings and drawings of symbols and animals, of the gods and creatures that he had no name for outside of the many studies of astrology that he had never paid much attention to. Yugi had explained it to him once and for a year he had known what he meant but he had forgotten it just as easily, never once truly needing it and so discarding it without much thought. A circle of hierarchy made a ring behind the gods, more towards the center, with servants and peasants, merchants and harvesters, cattlemen and shepherds, all leading towards Horus who presented forth a child who took on the crown and became the pharaoh. More and more images made up shapes of silver and gold, marking passages of life and death, of famine and prosperity, all coming together in the center to meet Anubis and Ra and, once more, Horus. All three gods rested in the middle there, with humans before them, all three deities reaching out to touch them, to coax them into the afterlife and power and eternity.

Atemu could already see him calculating, working out the days he had been gone, wondering about the passage of life that his eyes studied silently. He gave it a dismissive glance the second time he raised his eyes to it, instead shaking his head and fighting back a loud scoff of annoyance. He was so fed up with having the task of looking up towards it recently, having always hated it when he had been growing up. At the time it had been because Anubis and his jackal head, the power of death and eternity, had scared him. Now it was simply because the entire thing was ugly to him, no matter how impressively done it was. The only reason it remained in his chambers was because his mother had loved it and his father had had it painted onto the inner roof of the bed.

And if it were not enough that his mother had brought about this drawing haunting him relentlessly, he had been raised among the harem with the very same ceiling staring down at him every night and making his skin crawl. He was still unsure of why he had been raised in the harem when Seth had not. He knew part of the reason he had not was simply because he had been so reluctant to speak and so the brunet, chosen beforehand to become the heir if they could not produce a child, had been treated as the prince of Egypt. He was still uncertain of why his father had agreed to allow him to be raised there with the other children, when the pharaoh had been healthy though his wife had passed on not too long after his birth. Seth knew nothing of modesty, little being done to introduce such a lowly concept to him, but Atemu knew it as intimately as he did Yugi at times. His mother had insisted that he learn it, her death wish according to his father, and he had been given lessons among the other harem children though his grew far more advanced when he was alone with his father.

A soft cooing noise made him turn his head and he smiled faintly as he saw Yugi covering his mouth as he yawned and stretched, growing more comfortable in his space beside him. He would gladly let him rest if he could only shut off the thoughts that were suddenly plaguing his mind, and selfishly he wanted him to cast them away for him.

"Stay awake with me?" he implored softly, reaching out to stroke his fingers along the older boy's jaw, tipping his chin up and gazing at him fondly to make Yugi nod immediately. His lips curved up into a wide smile at the knowledge that Atemu—no matter what seemed to be bothering him as of late—still refused to try to press his power upon him. He didn't even know why he would have thought such a thing when it seemed entirely against the younger boy's personality altogether. Aside from the occasional pouting and glaring at him defiantly whenever he had told him to do something while they were growing up, Atemu had never used the phrase, "Do as I say" or "I'm going to be pharaoh one day. And when I am, you'll have to do everything I say".

Instead, Yugi had always known him to be rather levelheaded and sweet in that way. He didn't usually impose his power or will on others, always having hated his very heritage. He remembered many days in which he had cursed at the priests, the servants, spitting at them that he would run away if they didn't leave him alone. Yugi had often had to run after him into the marketplace whenever Atemu disappeared but that was only when he was about eight until he had become ten when Yugi had scolded him so harshly that he wouldn't even leave his chambers for a day and a half. Atemu had, however, often fought with Seth when he tried to make him behave and even tried to curse him with Ra's wrath at one point because he had told him that his behavior was that of a commoner's. Yugi had always found it hilarious when they were younger, especially the instance when Seth had knocked him over in the garden and Atemu said he hated everyone. It had taken him from sunrise to sunset to get him to smile again and he had officially been dubbed the only one Atemu liked anymore, something that was ironic because he was the only person Atemu liked, _period_. His hatred for the throne, for his own lineage and power, had always made him reluctant to play with the idea of bossing others around. It wasn't to say that he didn't when he had to or that he would allow others to walk all over him because then he was as feral as a wild animal, snapping and snarling and all but beating someone into submission. Atemu would not allow others to use his name either, as it would have made him seem weak and only he and Shiamun and Seth were the three he knew of with that privilege.

Yugi was relieved to see that his new position of absolute power as the pharaoh had not made him a disagreeable pompous ass as Seth's coronation into the priesthood had. Atemu had knocked him flat several times afterwards, annoyed with his showing off, and ever since Seth and the new pharaoh had had something of a love-hate family relationship. Then again, it mostly bordered on hatred as far as Yugi could tell, but he could see in the way that Seth seemed to test him and occasionally check up on him that he did at least care some even if he showed it in a rather rude way.

"Tell me about how your journey was. How was it outside of the palace?" the pharaoh cut in when a long minute of silence had stretched out between them, Yugi caught in his thoughts. He blinked, the eagerness in his tone making him zero in on his face and catching the smallest bit of excitement and mirth in those shining, cool crimson gems.

The sight made his stomach clench as he realized that the younger boy must have still been desperate for the freedom he had just been stripped so fully of. Aknamkanon's reign had been unusually short for a pharaoh, and Atemu was still so young. Yugi ached for him but shook it off in order to plaster a grin to his face and make his voice light to entertain his royal lover.

"The camels were rude. I swear I got spit on twice and Grandfather actually jumped into their watering pool too. Oh, and the temple was _massive_ , Atemu. I never really noticed how big Anubis's temple was." He was rambling now, unsure of what to say when he saw the way the monarch's eyes went from wide and hopeful to a stormy red at the mention of the god's name. Yugi guessed that he was still upset and mourning his father's death to elicit such a response. He pressed his cheek against the other boy's, whispering softly into his skin and pressing a small kiss to the shell of his ear. "It'll get better in time."

He looked stunned by the comment, nonplussed for a moment, and then smiled and nodded with a warm look. "It will." The words felt heavy and sticky in his mouth but they came out smooth and he knew Yugi had no reason to doubt his statement. Besides, he believed the other boy, that it would get better. The question was just when.

"Tell me more. Were there offerings already?"

"Not so much. I think I counted a couple of cats, actually."

"But you and Shiamun were the only ones with a jackal, yes?" he demanded, prosperous baritone voice eager and somewhat sharp with interest, eyes gleaming viciously for a moment in the orange glow of the flame. Yugi thought maybe he imagined it because it was gone immediately when he tried to search for that ferocity once more. "Am I correct in assuming that no one else had offered a jackal?"

Yugi blinked curiously. Atemu had been so insistent that they used a jackal as the animal to be sacrificed and several of the royal guard had been sent to find a male. They had captured one and one of the royal guard had been forced to tie the animal down completely until it was all but helpless, unable to get out of its restraints, legs and jaws forced shut with tight rope. Shiamun had put it on the back of his camel, unwilling to let Yugi risk it getting loose of its binds, tying the canine to the humped animal and making sure that it was unable to truly even do more than breathe and drink the water that was offered it when they got close.

"Yes—we were the only ones. What was so specific about the jackal? I don't—"

"Nothing, Yugi," he interrupted, reaching over to pull happily on his bang and wink at him playfully; the older boy wanted to believe him but the look on his face moments before said something else entirely.

"Okay," he relented after a moment, unwilling to pick a fight with the younger boy. He could see already that he would get no headway with the action. "We were the only ones who offered a jackal. Grandfather did the ritual and spent hours at the altar."

"You weren't… _in_ there with him, correct?"

Yugi frowned at the way his voice lilted, bordering ferocity and complete hatred before he shook his head and Atemu's momentary tension disappeared entirely, a smile coming across his face instead. The older boy decided not to speak of the matter or how the pharaoh was beginning to scare him slightly with the way his mood seemed to switch so extremely from anger to calm and back. He was known for being able to swap back and forth easily when it was expected of him, but he could see half of him struggling with the task now. He hadn't noticed it before that moment, but his jaw was ticking, the muscles clenching and twitching, his eyes narrowed faintly as he looked at him.

"I wasn't in the chamber with him. I was out in the hallway and I waited until he was finished. I think he fell asleep, though, because I couldn't hear him talking or anything…"

Atemu's eyes darkened into gleaming stones of hellfire for a split second before he nodded slowly at the statement. He thought for a moment that the other looked terribly hungry, power and lust burning in his gaze, but it was gone in the blink of an eye and Yugi fought off a frown. Maybe he had just been seeing things, the fire's weak light playing games with his tired mind and leading him to false readings of the other's expressions. He wouldn't be surprised, as it was something that had happened more than once, misreading Atemu's warm affections for lust several nights in a row when his studies had grown too hard for him to keep up with. Shiamun had thought it was a great test of his will and mental strength to see how long it took him to catch up while Atemu had been upset for days afterwards, furious that Yugi had worked himself to that point.

Yugi shook off the thought, instead telling himself that he had merely misread because the very thought of the younger boy's face twisted in such a way made him feel sick with unfamiliarity. "I didn't get to see anything but going there and coming back and just being at the temples in general was…fun."

It had been exhilarating when he took his mind off of why they had gone, off of the task of what Atemu could possibly want with them being there to do a ritual that was not even the job of the vizier.

"Yes? I'm glad you had fun," Atemu stated, voice warm and soft in the darkness. "I had hoped you might."

"We would have been back a few rises before but that storm swept in and we couldn't go anywhere with it as harsh it was."

His eyes stretched wide and Yugi swore he grew paler in the flickering light, mouth opening and closing slowly before blinking. "A storm?" he grumbled slowly, voice bordering furious and unhappy. "You were caught in a storm?"

The other boy nodded after a moment, shrugging his shoulders slowly in discomfort. "It couldn't be helped. Travel was impossible—"

"I do not _care_ that you were late," Atemu snapped, voice distressed as his darkened gaze narrowed into slits and he shook his head sharply, a jerky movement that made Yugi's eyes widen in surprise. "I just…I thought that something had happened to you! It didn't help that most of the others thought that you had died. Seth claimed that a whole month passing meant that you would not return at all."

He huffed, turning away to look up at the calendar that served as the frame of his bed, and curled his lip back in disgust and hatred. The damn lunar calendar had not helped him in the slightest in the task of ceasing some of his worry that he would never see the older boy or his vizier again. He had been forced to look upon that calendar and feel sick with desperation for them to return, with despair that it had taken them so long. Seth's words had done nothing to quell the growing panic that threatened to suffocate him daily when they still did not return. He had lost all forms of hope just that morning and when they had come back, he had barely refrained himself from hugging Yugi as if he were younger than he, burying his face in his hair and breathing him in. If it would not have been looked down upon, he would have held Yugi there for as long as he could before the other grew too tired and complained of the need for rest.

Yugi wanted to reassure him, but the more he tried to think of the words, the more they slipped from his grasp, and the other boy hardly seemed to be on that subject any longer. He could see the thoughts dancing in his eyes even in the growing darkness and he waited, not wanting to cut off any potential conversation he wanted to make.

"What do you think would happen if you could see your own future? Your own death? I mean, if you could actually change it all, would you?"

Atemu looked over, eager for his response, but found himself frowning when he saw that Yugi had fallen asleep somewhere in the time he was thinking. His face was tipped towards him, peaceful as his breaths came out even and slow, comfortable in a room that was quickly growing too small for his racing mind. The younger boy felt his shoulders sag, his breath coming out in a small sigh as he tried to force away some of his more persistent worries, but he could not find it in himself to be angry with the other. He had no idea the distraction he had been offering and it was not as if he could tell him in the first place. Besides, Yugi had just come back, after all, and he had known he would be tired, as he had told him earlier upon his arrival. He had guessed he was just eager to hear his voice before he fell asleep again, desperate for the softer lilt of his gentle tones and pleasurable companionable statements. His stomach churned as he pressed his nose gently against his temple, breathing in the scent of sunlight and spices and something that was purely Yugi, something that he could not define outside of the other's name. He snuggled into him, pulling him closer and lay his head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat, trembling at the familiar noise and rubbing his cheek against the shenti the older had been too tired to take off before he fell asleep.

* * *

 **Okay, so the palace is modeled after the layout of several pictures I could find on Google Images. I combined at least six of them to make it work for the story, and I used both the mini-series _Tut_ and _Prince of Egypt_ for inspiration for its design inside and out. The garden was modeled after a picture I found on Google Images. The pharaoh had MORE than just one palace, though they mostly remained in one and called it their primary home, though they had others in other cities.**

 **The hierarchy goes like this: pharaoh, vizier, nobles, priests, scribes, soldiers, craftsmen, farmers (there were NO slave markets or auctions in Ancient Egypt and they were normally captured prisoners that COULD be found in the household of the pharaoh and nobles working in mines and quarries and temples)**

 **I've found MULTIPLE websites where they said that it was REQUIRED for the prince to be wed before he could gain the throne (I altered that, obviously, as Atemu is a stubborn little shit) and that once he was crowned he was expected to perform a daily ritual every afternoon inside of the temple of Amun-Re (which IS still located in modern Luxor, formerly known of as Thebes to the Greek and Waset to the Egyptians) to keep the peace between the Egyptians and the gods.**

 **Also, the pharaohs WERE expected (even before being given full rule) to have been circumcised (at the age of 12 as all boys were) and then to have consummated their rite into adulthood by having sex when it healed (roughly a week, I'm GUESSING, couldn't really find too much on the healing rate) with the person of their choice (though I'm guessing that would be the queen if they were already married). They were expected to masturbate publicly within the palace and even into the Nile, which was seen as a blessing from the gods (since the pharaoh was considered the vessel of Horus).**

 **The temples of Anubis WERE in fact built with low lighting and dark walls, with chambers that decreased in size until you reached the statue where Anubis would be in the form of a man with the head of a jackal. Anubis had already stepped down in mythology to make Osiris the god of the dead when the 18th dynasty came about, however, so I altered part of that to work for part of the story.**

 **In the 18th dynasty, all royal children were raised together inside of the harem (which was, at times a separate building though for this story it's inside of the same main palace) and were taught most of the same things. The women were not used simply for sex and actually held a LOT of power.**

 **No one actually KNOWS exactly how the cities would have looked like, just that they were close to the Nile and on the floodplains, which is why none of them exist any longer. They were placed so closely for trade purposes in the New Kingdom.**

 **The lunar calendar was used at first by astrologers who would study the moon for signs of flooding and sowing. It was organized into 12 lunar months and 354 days that were divided into three seasons of four calendar months for each season and based on the cycle of the moon. However, they soon realized that the solar year was 365 days and so focused on the sun instead of the moon which caused them to develop the solar calendar. In the story, Atemu's mother just liked the drawing and the design of it and Atemu knows how to read it even if he doesn't usually care for it. Yugi likes the lunar calendar more than the solar, which is why he says lunar cycle instead of solar as he would have otherwise.**

 **Honey was used as a natural remedy for sunburns, as were oils, cucumbers, and aloe.**

 **I'll mention more of this as the story goes along (specifically the harem, the secondary wives, etc).**


	2. Chapter II

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Warning: Some slight cursing, small mentions of blood**

 **Update Schedule: I'll be updating every two days**

 **Some of the timeline for Yu-Gi-Oh was altered (i.e. the time that Atemu's father dies, the time that Atemu visits the tombs for that blessing from the gods, Atemu's coronation, etc) and obviously the attitude Atemu has. I just can't see him being too much of an ass and power hungry if Yugi was in his life back then, especially with the way that he spends most of his time with him in this story and did so growing up as well. And the circumstances of the story, because those have a massive impact on him as well.**

 **SOME of the roles of the hierarchy are altered somewhat (which comes up later in the story), SPECIFICALLY Yugi's as a scribe/vizier-in-training, Shiamun's as the vizier, some of Atemu's, slightly the women of the harem, and some of Isis's, Mahado's and Mana's.**

 **(More story information at the bottom...)**

* * *

Chapter II

"Spend the day with me," Atemu announced, leaving scarce room for argument and making Yugi raise a brow in question, lips twisting into a wide smirk. He was trying to boss him around with that voice he knew would get his attention and almost always assured his agreement. The pharaoh picked at his hair lightly, scrubbing his fingers through some small knots that made his bangs look like a mess of yellow strands, not at all desirable or even vaguely worthy of acknowledgment.

He reached forward to help him undo a knot that was stopping his fingers, gently picking it apart with his nails while the younger boy looked slightly shocked as he usually did, mystified by how he could do so. "I knew you could not have gotten enough of me last night," Yugi teased warmly, sifting his fingers through the soft strands again and smiling in approval as Atemu shook his head to make some of the messy spikes of hair regain some order once more.

"Yes, well, with my heavy breathing like a snarling honey badger, I am surprised that you rested through the night. But imagine if you had woken up and then woken me in turn. Can you imagine the pleasure your presence could have given me _then_?" the pharaoh commented, voice smooth and sultry even as his finger lightly tapped his chest and his eyes narrowed into slits of warm laughter. "Then I would have had enough of you for the night."

He felt a small prickle of irritation at the insinuation, his mind whispering so many little secrets that his skin burned with shame; he shouldn't have been questioning Atemu so harshly in the first place. He was the pharaoh and he, like all of the people of Kemet, had obligations no matter the power he wielded so effortlessly. But unlike the younger boy, no one else was exactly obligated to marry and produce an heir. No one else had the responsibility of running all of Kemet and keeping everything okay. No one else had to assure everyone's safety. No one else had to uphold Ma'at and make sacrifices in the afternoons after breakfast, nor did anyone else have to request the presence of Amun-Re so that he might speak through his high priest.

Atemu had every right to have welcomed others to his bed, though the thought made him furious and left him feeling utterly disgusted. The other boy had promised of his own free will, given his word with nothing more than a kiss to seal it and he had always kept his promises in the past; Yugi just needed to keep that in mind. Besides, Atemu's usual teasing consisted of exactly this, luring him into his bedchamber with him and the two of them having their way with each other. Then, before anyone else could come to find their way to their pharaoh to speak or risk sighting Yugi, they would share a chaste goodbye and the older boy would get back to his chambers immediately again. It was and always had been one of the traits that had caused various whispers among the palace goers, that he was going to be the first in two or three generations to hold several wives instead of one. It was whispered that he would have many children and that he would run through all of the harem within a couple of rises' time.

Yugi was well aware that those little whispers of him having been with a servant or a mysterious woman from the villages had been him in reality. Atemu had always made sure to get him out of his chambers—or to his own—before dawn started to paint the sky with pale outreaching fingers. It would have been a scandal if he had been sighted in there, especially with the way that Atemu was finding pleasure in Yugi's body when he should have been more concerned with his father's illness. Yugi may have understood that it helped to keep his thoughts clear and his tired mind from falling into traps in his troubled thoughts, but he doubted anyone else would have. It was hard enough that they had gotten caught by Seth when they were still rather novice at sneaking around to the other's chambers at night. The brunet had leaped at their throats, practically foaming at the mouth like a rabid dog whenever he had managed to catch them, the pattern never failing to repeat itself if he caught even a second of them together. Yugi thought he must have been the single most annoying person to grace the earth and Anubis would probably give him to be eaten by Ammut without trial just because he would not be able to stand him in his underworld. But while Seth had constantly passed judgment and lectured to his heart's content, Shiamun had merely teased him and kept silent about it around others. Only once had his grandfather truly said anything about it, and that was simply to remind him that when it came around, Atemu would be married and it would be expected of him to produce heirs. Past that he had allowed them to run around and do as they wished but that single warning had been enough to constantly plague him afterwards, like a scarab beneath his skin.

With all the constant reminders of responsibilities that rested solely on Atemu's shoulders, it was no surprise to him just how hard it hurt at the idea of him being with another. He had been used to their escapades for the last three and a half years, the two of them sneaking around and sharing secret kisses when no one was looking. And the thought of sharing, of having to become his second choice or third or fourth—or _last_ in a long line of lovers was not something he wanted to even truly consider.

It was honestly a miracle in itself that he was still unwed as it was. The fact that he was officially crowned the pharaoh of all of Kemet and had said nothing of a wife and no one had introduced him to a queen was a blessing to the blue-violet-eyed boy.

Even more so the fact that Atemu had sent Seth to retrieve him for the night and not to have woken him to send him off to his chambers once more. Those two absolutions made his head spin with excitement and warmth towards the other but a small sense of dread came with it. He knew just how much backlash he could possibly get, the rumors that could spread, but he was not about to try to dissuade him. He was too selfish to attempt such a thing at the moment.

"You couldn't even keep up," Yugi scoffed with a smirk, effectively banishing the line of thought and reaching over to run a finger under his skin and make Atemu growl softly. The pharaoh craned his neck a little more and the older boy felt his lips grow lopsided in their curve, with the desire to hold the young monarch who was already warm and ready to melt before him. "Hear that? That's you agreeing with me."

"No. That would be me calling you out on being a liar."

"No, no, Atemu. I think that just might be your inner honey badger telling me just how absolutely _correct_ I am."

"No, because you are absolutely _wrong_. And I would prove it to you but I have much to do this rise…" He frowned faintly, his jaw working, and Yugi was tempted to try to relieve him of some of the pressure by way of a small bit of pleasure but he knew already that Atemu would try to reciprocate. And he would not rest until he had given Yugi the same treatment, and at this rate, with how late they had already awoken, he doubted it would be a good idea. Although he had to admit his head did spin with the thoughts of his young partner's lips wrapped around him and his hair held tightly in his fingers, knotted spikes of warm strands that would weave themselves around the digits and hold them hostage there. He pushed the idea away immediately, blinking wide eyes before casting him a small grin when an elegant eyebrow was slowly raised in question and his red gaze narrowed.

"Much to do," he sang loudly, jumping to his feet and starting for the chamber doors before he was powerless to do so. The pharaoh scoffed loudly behind him, announcing that he knew what Yugi had been thinking of, and the older boy cast him a sly grin that made him shiver noticeably. The monarch stood after a moment, stretching his limbs tiredly so that his bones gave a soft but satisfying popping noise that made the older boy glance over. Soft footsteps, the flopping sound of sandals slapping the stone floor, echoed in through the hallway, and Atemu yawned lazily as he fell back against the sheets.

Yugi looked over his shoulder again, frowning in puzzlement, immediately worried about the other's reputation as the new king, the possible gossip that could emerge to blemish his reign already. They were both well aware that others already suspected him of weakness for being silent for so long, for being thought of as mute before he had spoken to him for the first time. That had already put enough pressure on Atemu that he was trying to play by everyone's rules and work to be the pharaoh they expected of him. He was still always prodded at, watched like a hawk, and it was yet another reason for them to hide around. Judgment was passed too quickly among the palace goers, as was obvious from the very fact that Seth thought he could push Atemu around so effortlessly. The pharaoh's personality was more passive, making him less likely to always fight back unless there was no other way to avoid the confrontation. And it was something that made him look like potential prey to both Seth and the other children in the harem growing older. Navigating as he was, he was easily picked up as weak, until they pushed too hard and Atemu lost his patience for it all, something that had luckily not happened often. Atemu was extremely vicious like a wild, rabid jackal when he got pushed too far, ready to tear off the head of anyone nearby. And his passive nature made it ironically much easier for him to brace himself for when they turned their sights on him as an "improper ruler" as he had heard one of the priests saying when Atemu was chosen to take the throne.

The fact that Atemu did not have siblings made the situation harder, as normally the queen would have been a sister or cousin as the bloodline would be tainted otherwise. Without siblings or a female cousin, it was to be either a woman inside of the harem or a princess from elsewhere. Yugi was still terribly curious and upset with the thought of Atemu being married, whether it was required of him or not. Yet, still, no one had said anything about a future queen and he honestly had to fear for the other boy if he was not wed. He was unsure of what they might do, whether or not it would mean he would be revoked of his status somehow if they could find a way to do so.

Atemu merely leveled him with a stare, rising to his feet once more to give it more power. His red eyes hardened, his jaw set, and his head tipped a fraction of an inch, challenging him coldly to take a step towards the door. The older royal frowned more noticeably, glancing over his shoulder as the sound of their footsteps coming closer made his jaw click uncomfortably for a moment. He turned back, chewing his lip but knowing if he ran Atemu would chew his head off later when they crossed paths again. If he stayed, Atemu would handle it and do it with ease, without much effort on his behalf.

"My pharaoh," the first servant greeted, ducking her head respectfully and earning a small smirk of acknowledgment from the monarch. Yugi ignored the look that a wide-eyed brunette gave him, instead focusing all of his attention on Atemu for some sign of relief that would allow him to make his leave.

The pharaoh's head tilted again, rolling faintly on his neck as his attention was jerked abruptly to him, jaw setting once more as they stared at each other. Yugi nodded faintly after a moment, not thinking too much of the action, and instead moved forward to allow the servants more room. Atemu gave him a small lopsided smirk and wandered over to grasp his wrist, turning on his heel to lead the older boy to one of the inner chambers without words. He heard a whisper behind him of his name—his _given_ name—and his eyes widened faintly as he glanced over his shoulder momentarily. In the doorway he thought he could see a brunette girl with long hair that fell in thick locks, the downward layers sporadic at best, but his attention was back on the monarch when he squeezed lightly on his wrist.

Turning back, he found questioning red eyes but merely shrugged in response, offering a small, lazy smile before he took in the inner chamber around them. Atemu pulled the thick curtain of mahogany drapes aside to allow the women entrance, careful to keep himself a step ahead of them as the pharaoh was never meant to be behind. To follow another when it was not to be led by guards was seen as weakness and he was not about to let that happen, not even just with servants. He would not even truly let Yugi walk ahead from him at times, always opting for having him at his side as if their skin were attached or keeping a small pace ahead.

He allowed the thick drape to fall into place once more, tugging Yugi along gently and finding his lover kept a step behind him but he could see in his peripheral that their movements were in perfect synchronization. That fact alone brought a small smile to his face and he let out a small hum as Yugi made a mental note of everything in the room as he always did when he was given entrance to a new place.

It was a bathing chamber, Yugi realized after a moment of taking in the limestone tub, the large structure of brilliant alabaster earth carved into a great oval filled with water. He could see the small opening in the bottom of the tub, chiseled gently with just enough room for red-hot stones to be pushed beneath the surface of its low dipping form. The water would grow hot, to the point that it might even boil, giving anyone in it a definite scrub of any germs and bacteria. Atemu gave him a sideways glance as Yugi looked the tub over, unnerved by the fact that the servants were going to be undressing both of them and bathing them in mere minutes. Then again, he supposed it would not be too terrible an experience; he had grown up with this treatment as well—all of the palace goers had beyond the servants. Even the scribes got such a treatment though not as in depth as they would have if their rank were higher.

They would stand naked and be doused in water, Atemu bathed in essential oils and flower scrubs, and then both would be scrubbed with natron to be rid of anything else that could possibly be bacterial. It would help them dry faster as well, though he could see several of the other servants carrying linens, one of them whispering to the other to go and get something else. He thought one of them was staring at him but when he looked, he found nothing but Atemu giving him a smirk that made him nervous and had him blushing in momentary embarrassment.

Yugi slipped off his shenti when they instructed, Atemu doing the same beside him, and the older boy glanced uncomfortably back towards the tub, wishing more than anything that they would heat the water instead. He could already feel them all looking at him and more so the pharaoh beside him who he knew was holding back guffaws that made his shoulders shake. He nodded with a glare at him, saying without words that he would get him back, and the younger boy bit his lip as he turned away with a snort that made the servants giggle quietly.

"Um, you know, I can—"

"You can stay here," Atemu cut in immediately, an edge of a threat frosting his words and making Yugi blink wide eyes. The pharaoh made a movement and Yugi screeched in surprise when the water, warm but with an immediate cold edge, spilled over his head. The servants all watched him, terrified that they had hurt him, but relaxed when the monarch burst out laughing, teasing, "You would think that you had never seen a female before."

Yugi gave him a wry look as the girls started to encircle him, their linen cloths scrubbing at his skin gently but with enough force to get any and all dirt. The smell of more rose oils entered the chamber and he gawked in shock as some was applied to a towel that was pulled away from his leg. It was pressed back against his flesh, scrubbing gently and making the scent waft up into his nose, eyes nearly bugging out of his head as his attention snapped to the monarch beside him. Atemu squirmed uncomfortably, lip curling faintly, as they went about doing the same to him, working to cleanse them both with the essential oils.

"Okay, okay," Yugi squeaked, eyes wide as they continued working, cheeks growing bright red as he gave Atemu a look that the other merely laughed out loud at. "Oh, oh. _Oh_."

"Good to see you enjoying yourself," Atemu snorted, laughing harder when the older boy shot him a deadly glare. He smirked at the look, raising a brow before licking his lips and shaking his head, glancing at the girls who were working on his inner thighs and allowing another to dig their hands into his hair, working a paste to lather. He watched the bubbles forming and jumped when his own hair was attacked with equal vigor only seconds later.

"You know, the least you could do is straighten your back, you sloppy boy," the pharaoh teased quietly, smirking at him when he gave him a shocked look. Atemu hadn't even been looking in his general direction a second ago, having faced straightforward for her to get the roots of his long hair. Yugi rolled his eyes mentally at the thought, realizing that it should never have been a surprise that Atemu noticed his lack of posture beside him. The newly-crowned monarch to recognize almost everything that happened around him even if his attention was focused solely on his surroundings—especially where it concerned him. "It makes it easier on them."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know this was what was going to happen," he hissed unhappily, blushing when Atemu snickered like a cackling jackal and shook his head slightly. The girl behind him giggled softly and Yugi shot her a dirty look that she surprisingly took in ease with pure amusement.

Atemu waited until they had rinsed him once more, feeling the way they worked apart the long strands of his hair and went about doing one side and then the other before moving along to the entire back and eventually tipping his head to the side. He watched in amusement as Yugi squeaked softly at the treatment, muttering something about being able to just have them rinse him and he would be good. The monarch rolled his eyes; Yugi's hair was longer than his, even if it didn't entirely look it, given that Atemu seemed to have more than the other. A simple rinse like they had done minutes before wasn't going to cut it.

It took what felt like forever for them to finally start drying him off but Yugi nearly screeched in surprise when they brought out the razor. _A little warning would have been nice_ , he thought, clenching his jaw as Atemu tilted his head curiously and then snickered softly. He shot him a furious look, blushing when they began to work at shaving his inner thighs, and glared as he hissed, "I'm going to get you back for this."

"Ooh, so threatening," Atemu teased warmly, allowing them to scrub his hair dry with gentle movements as they worked some of the more persistent knots out of his hair with their fingers. "Try repeating it with less of a squeak."

"Oh, you're so going to get it," Yugi growled, giggling and twitching when they moved on to his feet.

"I feel so threatened," the pharaoh snickered, smiling at him fondly when Yugi glared but ended up giggling once more as they began to trim his nails. "I'll be sure to avoid you for the next few rises."

"I'm serious," he objected, blushing and giggling harder before giving him a glare and huffing loudly.

"So terrified."

Yugi rolled his eyes, pouting as he was doused with water again and a towel rubbed at his hair as well, Atemu snorting and tipping his head to the side for one of the girls. The older boy watched with surprise as they worked a comb through his stubborn strands and once or twice they gave each other nervous looks as if Atemu might suddenly lunge out and bite them for being too close. It was obvious they were rather new to the trade, though he knew half of them were older, working in equal amounts between the two of them and showing off more of the procedures of bathing their king. He was startled when they started to work to comb his hair as well, eyes wide as they shot to the pharaoh in surprise, Atemu merely raising a brow and smirking at him like he had a little secret that he was keeping to himself. Yugi scowled momentarily but smiled when the girl looked nervous as she picked at and parted his hair, combing at the silky strands to undo any of the tangles that had come from the lather.

He was starting to relax some, easily warming up to the gentle but firm atmosphere that came across the inner chamber. Atemu didn't seem even slightly upset even when he got his hair unceremoniously pulled and a tear formed in his eye, Yugi laughing loudly at the display and earning a flick on the ear. The servants started snickering as Yugi flicked him back and earned yet another, both of them glaring and scoffing loudly at each other. He was bewildered that none of the newer girls were wondering at their behavior, unnerved by the way they seemed to simply accept it. Surely having the future vizier and his pharaoh standing there flicking each other was not something that was rumored to have happened every day in the servants' quarters or something.

He blinked stupidly as a new change of clothes were brought in, lily white and perfectly done to look exactly like the shentis they had been wearing moments before. Atemu allowed the girls to dress him, even letting them slip his jewelry on, and Yugi found himself startled when they did the same with him, growing unnerved once more. Why was no one questioning this? Why had no one inquired about his presence there? Why did they all just seem to accept it as if it were common and nothing out of the ordinary?

His mind fell into that darker place that he had been determined to stay out of, wondering immediately if maybe Atemu had been with another. What if they hardly blinked an eye towards this because they had done it before several times already? Maybe it was only the new face instead of one of the harem that had made them give pause at any rate. Yugi gave him a sideways glance, chewing his cheek and wondering as they brushed his hair, the longer bristles weaving through to release some of the water and help it to regain some of its former height. The girls started on his own after a moment, treating him as they did the other boy, and Yugi mulled this over momentarily as his arm bands were placed on his skin, cooling it where it seemed entirely too hot.

He watched momentarily as Atemu had his crown rested on his head, not even blinking at the treatment but giving one of the servants a sweet smile that hid some of his annoyance at the task of being dressed like this. One of the women wandered off for a moment and returned with a polished disc of copper that was attached to a metal handle that they placed in his hand. The pharaoh looked slightly disdainful towards the task of appraising his appearance, and Yugi could see he was fighting back the urge to roll his eyes. The sun disc was rested atop the metal handle, falcons carved to support the ball of polished bronze, the reflective surface giving them both a clear image of themselves in which the older boy blinked wide eyes. Atemu looked momentarily frustrated but a blink banished the sight and he was given a clear line of sight to take in more of its design. He only had to look to see that the falcons represented Horus, their beaks harsh and sharp, their plumage done in wavy lines, vicious talons seemingly gripping at the metal resting beneath that served as a t-shape. He could see the Eye of Ra resting in the center of the hilt, right beneath the polished disc, and the sight made his stomach clench.

No wonder Atemu hated this kind of treatment so much. He hardly got a moment's reprieve before it was shoved in his face that he was the new pharaoh and his father was gone. He fought to keep the small wave of sympathy and momentary pity off his face, head jerking away when he saw Atemu's sharp eyes taking in his reflection.

A small basin was handed to Atemu first who tipped it back towards his lips and swished its contents around in his mouth for several minutes, the basin passed along to the older boy who sighed but drew the rest into his mouth. The servants passed the empty vase first to their pharaoh and then to their future vizier, both of them spitting the paste from their mouths and running their tongues over their teeth in perfect synchronization.

It was only as the servants were leaving that Yugi realized belatedly that he had learned none of their names nor heard Atemu say one. But he could see that he recognized one of the older women, who paused in the doorway to nod at him and receive similar acknowledgment in return before the pharaoh attached his cape to his attire and looked over, raising a brow.

"That wasn't too hard, right? Now that the scary girls are all gone," he teased, laughing and running out of the inner chamber as Yugi sputtered and then chased him indignantly. He caught him by the cape, the thick blue linen stopping him short and making him spin around to pout though his eyes were smirking with amusement. "What? It's not my fault that you act like you've never seen a female before."

"Oh please, I'm around you often enough, aren't I?"

"Ouch," he muttered, covering his heart with a sniffle. "That hurt."

Yugi snorted loudly and shook his head, rolling his eyes and releasing the article of clothing he had been holding him back by. "I can't believe you made me go through that with you," he hissed, flushing when Atemu raised his brows drastically and gave him a disbelieving look. "Yes, _made_ me. I wasn't about to let you go after me later for not being with you all day."

"Oh, so you didn't want to spend the day with me…"

He rolled his eyes at the exaggerated sniffle and bumped shoulders, smiling at him even as he glared and snapped, "Don't be stupid, habibi."

"Oh, now _that_ 's something I've missed hearing," Atemu purred, all feigned hurt immediately gone from his expression as he moved to draw him closer, smirking widely and kissing him once chastely. The pharaoh wandered off for a moment, heading over to the basket where his she-cat was watching them, and drew the Puzzle out from under the blankets, pulling it on and allowing it to swing from its place around his neck. "Come on, we have breakfast to attend to."

He almost argued but was given a small warning glance and instead rolled his eyes and followed, only realizing as they started towards the doorway. Several of the servants were waiting for them outside, patient and lowering their head respectfully to gain a nod from Atemu. He resisted the urge to snap at him in annoyance as it clicked in his mind, slow to come from having slept so heavily and never having a reason to suspect it before that moment.

Atemu had staked a claim in allowing him to do all of this. Atemu had all but named him his queen and partner by letting them do all of this and he was really tempted to knock that crown off his head and tear into him a little for his stupidity. And Atemu knew what he had done because, as they walked down the corridors, he would shoot him little smirks and level him with a glare when he narrowed his eyes even slightly at the younger boy. It was a situation he would have laughed about if he had merely been told the story but going through it was something else entirely and he felt his stomach twist.

None of them spoke, instead walking along silently as the servants were too afraid to make conversation with their sovereign and Yugi wanted to do nothing more than snap at anyone who attempted to talk to him. He thought his own furious air might have aided in their discomfort but he also suspected the glares and the way Atemu's jaw was twitching made them twice as reluctant. Between the two of them, he thought for sure that they could scare away anyone who looked at them a certain way. In fact, he guessed that if they ran across Seth, the brunet might just turn on his heel and speed off in the opposite direction, not one to mess with the two when they quarreled.

Their fights were legendary, though they were rather short-lived and easily resolved between them. Atemu fought tooth and nail and Yugi was likely to let loose his temper and seethe and rage for hours afterwards. When they snapped at each other, it was never enough to allow rest for anyone who crossed paths with them later, and they usually could screech and snarl at half the palace goers before they settled some. It would take talking about it later, when they were alone—with any opportunity really—for either of them to settle finally. Half of the time the other palace goers would avoid them for at least a week after their explosions on each other and them, refusing to bother with them for a while afterwards.

Yugi welcomed the scent of the sunrise, nearly purring as he took in the mingling smells of the flowers and the lotus buds that littered the pool in front of them. Atemu paused momentarily to glance at him before taking a seat on one of the cushions resting in the shade of the tree, the dappled pattern giving them an alluring air that made him want to curl up and sleep for a split second. A long clay platter of food rested in front of him and his stomach growled faintly, but he waited for the older boy, watching as Yugi drew in one final, relaxed breath and then trotted over immediately, plopping down beside him. The smell of the garden, the warm air mixed with so many different scents of sweetened flower nectar and the general touch of the sun rising as well as the bread and fruit on the platter, was enough to make him forget his issue with the other.

"Dirty," he commented, placated by the food but waiting impatiently for the other to move first. Atemu tilted his head when he continued staring at him pointedly, gesturing, but Yugi did not move and the pharaoh rolled his eyes as he plucked a fig from the plates that rested on the clay utensil before them. Yugi nearly sighed in relief, snatching his own grape and tossing it into his mouth gratefully, moaning softly at the flavor that exploded into his mouth.

"Dirty?" Atemu echoed softly, eyes wide as he looked around at the tray and inspected the visible areas of the plates. He glanced disdainfully at the goblets of wine that rested on both sides of the tray, awaiting either of them, and had the impulse to pour his on the ground out of habit, but decided against it. He wondered if he might need that to get through the day at this rate. "Where do you see dirt?"

"Well, I'm sitting next to a pile of it," Yugi snorted amiably, rolling his eyes and grabbing a roll of bread, munching on it happily. He had forgotten how long it had been since he had eaten. Besides that handful of honey that night, it had been almost a day without food in his belly. A greedy little whimper slipped out of him before he could quell it and Atemu's eyebrows shot up as he looked at him, picking at a cut pomegranate to pluck some seeds.

"You should have told me you were so hungry," the pharaoh growled, scowling at him faintly and shaking his head in irritation. "I would have skipped putting you through that whole ordeal in my chamber. You could have just gotten a tray of food and eaten and met me here."

The vizier's grandson stopped short, mid-bite, and turned his head to stare at him for a moment, unsettled by the thought and the ease of which the statement came out. He shook his head slowly, feeling as if he were repeating something off of one of the many scrolls of papyrus he was using to study. "Atemu," he said slowly, frowning as the pharaoh's eyes flashed with recognition towards his tone, "this spot next to you is supposed to be reserved for the queen, not your future vizier."

Atemu made a low snarling noise, scoffing at him as he put a handful of the pomegranate seeds in his mouth, cracking them loudly to keep from lashing out as his lip curled slightly. "I am not going to marry," he stated after a moment, forcing his voice to come out smooth and calm as he swallowed the mouthful of fruit. "I shall not have a wife. Nor will I produce an heir."

"What?" Yugi sputtered, gawking at him with wide eyes and feeling his gut twist in horror. Atemu had to produce heirs—and he had to have a wife. Whether he had multiple was his own choice but he was required to have at least one, to have a son or daughter. It was imperative that he kept the line of pharaohs strong and allowed his family to continue its reign. "Atemu, that's your duty—"

"Do not speak to me about my duties as the pharaoh," the younger boy spat angrily, spinning on him viciously and huffing loudly enough that the other cringed and swallowed hard, resisting the urge to duck his head in submission. "I know well what my responsibilities are. And I will also tell you that my word is law and as my choices are dictated by the gods, I will not marry. I will not take a wife. I will not produce an heir. And there is no power that will make me do so."

Yugi opened and closed his mouth like a gaping fish before it was cut open, blinking stupidly and shaking his head slowly. "But…but…w-what about…?" He blinked again and shook his head slowly once more, staring at him with wide eyes that Atemu could clearly see the horror displayed in. The blue looked like dark icy peaks of color that decorated harsh violet darkness, giving clear indication his feelings on the matter. "Atemu, you cannot just…"

The other boy tipped his head towards him, a bored challenge making up his expression as a brow rose in defiant questioning. "Can't just _what_ , Yugi? My word is law. I am a god and I am the law. What I say is. And what I say is that I will not do it."

"Is this…?" He choked a little, coughing and opening and closing his mouth before licking his lips and feeling sick to his stomach once more. He couldn't force the words out for a second but finally his voice came out scratchy and small. "Is this about me?"

Atemu blinked slowly and turned to him with a nonplussed look before his eyes widened and then narrowed, his lip curling back slightly. "Don't think of yourself that highly just yet, Yugi," he snorted, voice cold but still somehow affectionate, taking off some of the blow that had been well-aimed to dig its way beneath his skin. "That will come around later, when you are a vizier."

"Then why are you…? You're the pharaoh, Atemu, you can't just forsake your responsibilities like that—"

"No, I cannot. You are right about that, Yugi. And it is not as if I am going to let Kemet fall into ruin. I plan simply to ignore those two."

"For now?" Yugi coaxed, shaking his head. "Just…for the time being? You certainly plan to…l-later, right?"

Those red eyes turned from the color of the wine in the goblets resting in front of them to an unholy crimson that looked flat like a sheet of ice. A long minute and a half passed with the sun's light burning his gaze and making it seem infinitely cold, and then the pharaoh snorted and turned away with a small smirk on his face. "You tell yourself that if you wish, Heba," he scoffed, plucking a couple of grapes and tossing them into his mouth.

Yugi flinched at the use of his real name, the way it lolled off his tongue as if it were a viper waiting to strike. When Atemu had only been able to say "Yu" and "Gi" when he was younger, constantly spitting them out together as "Yugi" the older boy had gone about answering to it anytime he said it. It was the only word that Atemu could say as he had never paid attention and refused to learn, only mimicking him when he said something. He had eventually dropped his given name in order to become "Yugi" since Atemu had always called him by it, at first too young to bother with the syllables that made up "Heba" and later just simply forgetting that he had a name before it. It was going to be reclaimed as his name when he was made the official vizier to Atemu, but it was not something that he had bothered with nor worried about. But coming from Atemu like this, it felt as if he had just struck him, as it was rare that the younger boy ever drew it into a verbal spat between them.

It was a harsh enough blow that it always felt as if he had just abandoned him altogether or pushed him away completely, refusing to lower his guard for him to slip past again. The feeling of being trapped on the outside whenever he said that name always made him want to vomit and Yugi wondered constantly if Atemu knew the power behind saying it or if he just did it because he knew it hurt him.

The pharaoh glanced at him sideways and Yugi spotted the flurry of emotion that spread through his gaze in that split second, jaw clenching. So Atemu did know exactly how the use of that name affected him. Atemu knew damn well how much that stung, the use of his real name coming from the other boy's mouth making his bristle angrily.

"Don't remind me of what I was raised to do," the pharaoh hissed at him quietly, turning away and clenching his jaw so tightly that Yugi could see the strained muscles clamping and twitching beneath his skin. A tendon in his neck jumped with the action, cording under his flesh, and he fought back a flinch at the sight. "I know damn well what is expected of me. And I will tell you now that it will not happen."

He wanted to argue, to tell him that his arrogance would bring him nothing but a short reign as king, and rightfully so, but stopped, biting his tongue harshly. Lashing out at him so early in the morning would gain them both nothing but sore feelings and pained pride on Atemu's behalf. The verbal confrontation would lead to nothing more but violent and vicious arguments and though Yugi knew he could hold his own, he was never truly one for conflict. Especially where it concerned his stupid, stubborn lover of all people.

"Very well…my pharaoh," he stated quietly, unable to fight away the coldness in his voice and making the other stiffen beside him. He glanced at him, watching the way the sun hit his slightly shocked eyes once more, turning them from cold crimson to a light red almost akin pink, like watered down wine. _Oh yes, Atemu, I know how to shut you out too,_ he thought viciously, proud of himself momentarily for his well-delivered barb before feeling a sting of pain when the pharaoh blinked as if stupefied and then turned away again.

Yugi sighed quietly, picking at his food now as his hunger dissipated, overpowered by guilt at the despondent look that crossed the younger boy's face. He swallowed hard, staring down at the roll he was fumbling with in his hands, picking at it with his nail and watching closely from the corner of his eye. Atemu would blink slowly, shut his eyes tightly, blink again, and then glower at his food, all of it a clear sign to the older boy that he was struggling with far more than just this argument.

He hoped, at least, that the rest of the day would not end up as bad as the start had.

However, his wishes fell upon deaf ears as the day dragged on and his exhaustion from the previous night seemed to catch up with him once more. His tiredness gave way to a bitter sarcastic tongue that lashed out at anyone that moved and since that was usually Atemu, the other bit back just as violently. Between the two of them they had managed to make Seth skittish and ready to flee at any moment with so much as a glance in his general direction. Shiamun was avoiding them pointedly, only coming within proximity to tell his pharaoh of some advice that the younger boy immediately turned his nose up at and dismissed him.

"What in the name of Ra is _wrong with you_?" he finally snapped, throwing his arms up and watching as the red-eyed boy jerked slightly from his place on the throne. His head snapped towards him, eyes stretched as wide as the sun, and his jaw twitched uncomfortably as ruby met sapphire-specked violet. "It's one thing to be upset with me but to dismiss your vizier when he was mid-speech? I didn't know you to be so foolish before."

Atemu blinked and then narrowed his eyes into slits that gleamed like those of a furious viper, voice low and seeming to drift through the air like an icy shadow. "He had nothing new to say to me," he hissed viciously, jaw clenching. And how dare he even risk saying such a thing in front of his grandson? He should have had his tongue cut out for such insolence. Shiamun was aware that if there was nothing more he wished, then it was surely that Yugi would not learn of the issue until he was ready to tell him himself. "Thus I had no reason for him to remain here."

"And how would you know that? You barely let him get out a greeting!"

"Because it's been the same thing over and over!" he cried angrily, jumping to his feet and glaring at him. The cape billowed behind him like a pair of dark royal blue wings, jumping in the torchlight like coming darkness. Yugi backed up a step, startled by the feral gleam in his eyes, and stiffened drastically as they stared at each other. Atemu didn't bear mind to his shocked reaction, overlooking the small bit of fear in his gaze. It was the first time that either of them could think of in which the younger boy was not trying to give him everything he could and all that he desired, no matter how direct or indirect the efforts. The thought made his skin crawl and his heart beat a little faster, terrified in that moment. What had happened while he and his grandfather had been gone? A thin sliver of horror grasped his heart, squeezing with an icy hand that he fought not to shiver beneath. The organ shook in his chest, chilled, and he swallowed hard as the pharaoh glared furiously. "None of them have anything new to report! Seth tells me that the white-haired bastard is about, that he's been sighted closer. Shiamun tells me that perhaps I should think of having guards stationed more closely to me, that I should have an escort for the time being. Isis…oh, that beautiful, conniving snake _Isis_ , she has nothing for me to hear and yet she requests my attention whenever she can. Tell me, Yugi, why should I listen to what I already know? What I've thought of and know is worthless to consider? No, I am not going to listen any longer. It has no worth, no meaning—so what am I to do with it?"

He opened and closed his mouth, flinching as if he might strike him when the other stepped forward. The violent jerk of a reaction made Atemu cease movement, eyes wide in confusion as Yugi tried to think desperately of some kind of excuse for the response. He didn't want Atemu to know just how disconnected he felt from him now, as if a mere month had somehow become an entire lifetime. Telling him would do nothing more than hurt him and Yugi felt as if he had done that enough with all of his venom-laced barbs and angry words.

But the way the sunlight from the windows that allowed more natural light to steam inside hit Atemu's face made his skin crawl. The shadows cast upon his face, leaking into his bright eyes through his long lashes, scared him more than anything in that moment. He looked angrier than he had ever seen him, lips formerly twisting into a snarling sneer that made him look like a vicious hyena going for the kill. The fire in his eyes had been flickering with darkness, bright with hatred and power that he had never seen in the familiar red orbs before. His heart pounded, lurching inside of his chest violently, shaking as he swallowed hard.

"I wasn't going to hurt you," Atemu sneered suddenly, snorting and turning away dismissively without a second glance as if the action could help to mask some of the hurt that had carried over with the vicious comment. He fell back into his throne, settling with his elbows against the gold and limestone seat, and stared angrily across the room at the wall as if it held all the answers.

Yugi swallowed hard, knowing the other had already withdrawn too far for him to reach. He wouldn't find his way out for a long while, and it would only lengthen his withdrawal if he tried to coax him out, something he had learned growing up when they fought too hard and he got hurt in some way, by his own hand or Yugi's. The older boy turned away, nibbling his nails as the time passed but watching him from the corner of his eye and swallowing hard when the younger pulled his hands off the armrests to place on his knees. His fingers brushed the space between his knees, shoulders slumping drastically and giving him a view, without eye contact or words or even conscious thought, into just how badly he had hurt him with his reaction.

The passage of the day felt far longer than it should have, stretched out like a lifetime, and his heart ached when Atemu finally rose to his feet. Yugi spun on him, eyes wide as Atemu raised his head and glanced at him with a cold film covering his gaze, voice sharp and low as he growled, "I'm retiring to my chambers for the night."

Yugi went to respond, to beg for his attention again, but fell silent when he caught the exhausted look in his eyes beneath the film of ice, the expression so tired that the older boy wanted to vomit with dismay.

"I knew that…"

The pharaoh blinked slowly, narrowing his eyes faintly even as he turned his head in confusion to grace him with another extremely tired look. "What?" he asked slowly, voice coming out sharp and vicious as he studied him in confusion.

"That you weren't going to hurt me—I knew that. I just…reacted…badly."

Atemu stared at him for a moment and then tipped his head away, smiling wryly as he mumbled in a voice just loud enough for Yugi to catch in the stale air. "The worst things: to be in bed and sleep not, to want for one who comes not, to try to please and please not."

The words came out with an almost shy ring to them that made Yugi's heart skip briefly before he spotted the other giving him a sideways glance that made his red eyes darken with a small shadow of plea. He opened and closed his mouth once before hurrying over to his side with a bit of shaken surprise; he knew the words well, as it was something that Atemu usually used when he got unsure of himself. He had always said it when he thought he had hurt his feelings or he didn't want to be alone for the night but did not know how to rectify the situation or if he had the right to ask for his company. If it wasn't something that he had personally inflicted on the other without meaning to, he would held off for a little while in some kind of tiny bit of punishment that would leave Atemu squirming like he had ants in his shenti. But now this was his fault and he was well aware of how he had struck him without meaning to, the way that Atemu had curled into himself, and he was not about to tease him mercilessly like he would have otherwise.

He hurried to his side, not appreciative of the silence or the fast pace that Atemu picked, the younger boy all but ignoring him even when he brushed hands with him in an effort to make him twine fingers with him. It was possibly a stupid idea to do so in the first place considering the fact that he had been outraged just earlier when the younger boy had practically proclaimed him his wife by having him stick around with him that morning. But at the same time, he felt desperate and small with the silence that was squeezing his throat like a vice.

Atemu only slowed when they got to his bedchambers, throwing back the sheer curtain for him to follow and starting towards the bath chamber to drop his jewelry. He could hear the thick bands of gold slamming against each other forcefully, loud clinks of metal making him flinch faintly but also giving him a hint as to how unhappy the other still was. Swallowing hard he watched as the other royal flopped straight onto the mattress and stretched his limbs out entirely, refusing to move even slightly.

"Do you _really_ require _that_ much room?" he scoffed.

" _Yes_. I am a growing boy and I am a god. And _you_ are a vizier _in training_ ," he announced loudly, tipping his chin up and looking at him through his long lashes with a wide smirk. "So you should just let me have the bed and you may sleep on the floor."

"I'll just go to _my_ chambers then," Yugi snorted dismissively, working to keep his voice even and mask some of the pain that came with the thought. His stomach twisted as he swallowed harshly, working to keep his mouth from drying out as the other boy narrowed his eyes into slits.

"Not if I say you _can't._ "

"Oh, please, Atemu, when have I _ever_ listened to you?"

"You know, normally someone's tongue would be cut out for such arrogance."

"You know, if you said that _without_ the pout, it might be slightly credible."

Atemu snickered and moved to scratch his chin against the wool blanket before watching him for a moment, red eyes unreadable and making Yugi's skin prickle as if the burn he had sustained were growing rapidly to engulf the rest of his flesh. Yugi shivered as they stared at one another, the red-eyed monarch rolling his shoulders before pushing himself onto his elbows with a raised brow. "So, if I don't pout, I could be taken seriously?"

"Not by _me_ ," Yugi snorted, smiling in amusement at the way the pharaoh gave him a narrow-eyed glare that bordered on laughter. "You're not going to make me listen to you anytime soon. I know you too well."

"You're _funny_ ," he scoffed dryly, narrowing his eyes further when Yugi started towards the bed. "Um, are you _lost_? Your chambers are down the hall, _very_ far away from here."

"Funny how you asked me to come here."

"Yes, but that was _before_ I really had to consider sharing my bed with you. And frankly, I am _not_ enjoying our conversation enough to invite you to lay with me. So leave me alone now."

"Fine then, Atemu. I'll see you in the morning."

Atemu's head snapped up, eyes wide as he started to jump to his feet and stare at him with a startled expression that bordered on horrified. "What? No, get back here."

"Um, how about no?"

"You shall! For I am your pharaoh and I decree that you shall stay here with me!"

Yugi laughed out loud, turning his head and smiling at him widely in amusement. "Make up your mind," he teased. "I'm too tired to play this game with you."

Atemu hurriedly gestured him over, waving his arms wildly and giving him a look that said he had better get over there immediately. Yugi snickered as he wandered over to him, giving a small sashay of his hips that he knew made Atemu's head tilt with curiosity. He had to admit he was a little more than simply thrown by the fact that there was absolutely nothing in his dark gaze to indicate desire. Normally the younger boy would have given him a sly look, head tilted and lips twitching on the right corner, his eyes darkened drastically so that they were a shade away from black and narrowed with a bit of growing anticipation.

It shouldn't have but again this change in his attitude made his stomach twist as he swallowed hard and the immediate thought of others in his bed sprang to mind. He did not think, however, that if Atemu had gone about using another to warm his bed, that he would have invited him back, especially so exclusively. He would not have been leading him along like a horse by its master.

He knew that. Atemu was not the vindictive type that would abuse another's emotions for his own gain. If he wanted to deliver a blow, he did it without deceit. His words came out sharp, vicious, and he struck like a mighty king cobra, just enough that the verbal barb felt like poison when it consumed his victim's thoughts. If Atemu wanted to crush him, he would say it immediately and without question that he had someone else in his bed with him. He would have admitted to breaking his self-proclaimed promise without much prompt, spat it at him if he had wanted to hurt him.

"I don't believe the gods would smite you if you were to walk faster," Atemu scoffed, giving him an annoyed look when he slowed some more and pretended to be taking in the room as if he were a complete stranger. The pharaoh nodded slowly, steadily, counting off seconds in his head. He allowed him to indulge in this behavior, even smirking in amusement at the way he furrowed his brows in mock confusion and then peered with feigned shock at the incense burning in the corner.

"Is that… _fire_?" Yugi asked, pointing just as the younger boy rolled his eyes and sprang forward quickly like a cheetah. The older let out a shocked squeak though he was half-prepared for the moment he finally let loose his impatience.

Atemu caught him around the torso, pulling him forcefully back towards the bed while Yugi laughed softly and allowed himself to be pressed down into the mattress. The wood creaked under their combined weight and Yugi nearly laughed out loud at the way Atemu looked as if he had just won some kind of prize with the action. For a moment both of them waited and the vizier-in-training snickered as he tossed the pharaoh backwards and sideways onto the bed beneath him.

"I win again," he announced with a smirk, raising a brow when the younger boy wrinkled his nose dismissively at the claim. Normally he could at least get that soft spark of defiance no matter how tired he was, the stubborn boy always willing to argue that he cheated or just got lucky. "Like _always_ ," he added, trying to get a rise out of him and feeling sick when the other merely rolled his eyes.

"Whatever. Just lay down so I can go to sleep," the pharaoh grumbled, pushing him away some so that he fell back again and grabbed the thin sheet to pull over them, making sure to cover everything but his neck and face when he draped the sheer material over them.

"I knew you couldn't deny me," Yugi sang loudly, hoping to get a response from the other and pleased as he noticed Atemu tip his cheek further into the mattress beneath them.

" _Bite_ me," the pharaoh snarled in a dangerously low voice, making the older boy stop short for a moment, jerking back before finding that the younger was already fast asleep next to him. He had hoped that Atemu was no longer sore about his involuntary flinch and had decided that it was not something that truly deserved his attention any longer. And he had not seemed too unhappy and sore with it before he had fallen asleep, but now he had to wonder if maybe he had missed something to have evoked such a nasty retort.

It could have just been that Atemu had been waiting to snap at him and that was the only moment he had really bothered to do so, but he also doubted it. He thought maybe Atemu was stressed to the point that he really needed to lash out at him. Maybe in all the time he had been gone, the new pharaoh had grown much more anxious and strung out than he had originally suspected.

Yugi swallowed hard and reached out to pull on one of Atemu's bangs, twisting the hair around in his fingers and feeling sick for a moment. What if Atemu really had changed in such a short bit of time? Yugi wondered vaguely if maybe he would find out someday soon that the pharaoh was a lot different from the boy he had grown up with. The thought scared him so much more than he was willing to admit.

* * *

Yugi continued walking behind him, the sun hot against his skin and leaving him feeling another faint sting of pain from the previous burns he had accumulated before they had returned to the palace. His grandfather remained several steps ahead of him, a low tone of a buzz coming back in the hot air behind him to pronounce his soft humming. The blue-violet-eyed boy turned his head to glance towards some of the others spread out amongst the market but did not speak as their pace continued steadily.

They were meant to be checking that all of the taxes had been collected, that—though it wasn't really why they had left—all of the homage had been paid to Atemu now that he was officially the new ruler of Kemet. Seth had mentioned that several of the smaller villages, amongst the cattlemen and shepherds deeper in the desert, had yet to do so and Yugi was honestly curious as to why they had not. It was not as if anyone had spoken out against his coronation, as it would have meant either certain death or a vote to see if Atemu should remain their pharaoh. Whispers of assassination and rebellion among some of the lower-ranking people of Kemet haunted them like a persistent ghost, speaking words of bloodshed and death as they continued walking. But they were always abundant, since long before Atemu's father's reign and sure to follow long after Atemu's own. And it was growing, made obvious by the way that Seth's eyes glittered at times. He seemed to be waiting for it to happen, as if he wanted to say that he had tried to warn his cousin, so that he could snicker about it when Atemu fell, as Yugi knew he used to do when they had first been brought together for studies.

He had walked in on that many times growing up. Being a year and a half younger than Seth and part of the royalty, Atemu was always his victim no matter how hard he tried to deter it. Yugi had often struggled with trying to make Seth lighten up on how vicious his games tended to be with the smaller boy. It was almost like a cat playing with a piece of prey and knocking it around for no other reason than its own entertainment, because it could. Atemu played the part of the sheep well, however, quiet and withdrawn and not too keen on being around others and it got worse when Seth picked on him so constantly. Yugi had often gotten in between them and the rivalry had only grown that much worse because of it, no matter how hard he attempted to keep Atemu out of range of Seth's discontent. He had always been the barrier, not entirely by choice either as Atemu would often hide behind him and use him as a physical shield when things got to be far too much for him to handle.

The thought of the pharaoh, so small and young and rather defenseless before he had grown more into his personality and gained some confidence, made his heart ache. Atemu had vanished before he had woken up, gone long before he had even gotten the _idea_ of getting up, and the thought that he had abandoned him made his stomach lurch violently. If Atemu had just left him like that, he worried that maybe the pharaoh was still a bit more undone by his actions the day before than he had originally thought.

Yugi nibbled on his nail, ignoring the sour taste of dirt that came with it from when he had tripped on the way out of the palace. He glanced at his grandfather's back, relieved that he had not turned around, but knew he should have known the other was well aware of his mood without having to see his face. He cringed, dropping his head, as Shiamun murmured, "Tell me what happened between you and Atemu."

He really had no desire whatsoever to talk about it but he knew he would not make it through this trip without doing so. His grandfather wouldn't push but the reassurance that he didn't have to talk would drive him crazy until he finally did and by then, he would be angry and confused and hurt. "I think I might have hurt him on accident," he finally mumbled, sighing loudly when he realized there was nothing else he could do.

"He is a bit of a sensitive one," Shiamun commented, chuckling softly and glancing at him over his shoulder. Yugi bristled at the comment, glaring at him for a split second, but the truth of the statement was apparent between them and so the younger turned away again, blushing faintly. "But you've hurt each other several times growing up. It's what you do when you're so close to someone else, no matter how hard you try not to. He will just need a little bit of time to get over it, Yugi."

Yugi shook his head, rolling his eyes and fighting off the impulse to snap that he already knew that. Of course he did; Shiamun didn't know the shadow of the person Yugi was so well acquainted with. "Yes, Grandpa, but he…actually left before I woke up," he muttered uncertainly, chewing on his nail again and swallowing hard. "He's never done that before, no matter how hurt he is."

"Maybe he was just allowing you to rest some more. He _did_ summon you the night we returned and you spent the rise with him after. Maybe he just thought that he would let you sleep more and would meet you when we get back."

Yugi shook his head slowly in a deliberate motion, flustered that his grandfather failed to understand though he supposed he had no actual reason to in the first place. Atemu was mostly Yugi's little secret as far as behavior and their time together alone and Yugi had never truly spoken of such a thing to him before. "But he's never _done_ that before!" he repeated more urgently, stressing the statement and allowing his voice to border a snapping tone. "He has never left me alone like that before, no matter how tired I may be or how busy he is! I think I hurt him more than I originally thought, Grandfather…"

"So what do you plan to do then?"

He had a small impulsive thought to snap that he would corner him at some point and demand an explanation but they both knew he would not do so. If he hunted him down to demand an explanation from him, Atemu would not speak and would eventually turn his temper on him. Besides that, he did not want Atemu to think that he had turned against him like that kind of behavior might make it seem for him. Atemu was not one to be cornered and forced into conversation, likely to lash out and grow furious with him.

For a moment he was silent, wondering at what he could do that wouldn't make Atemu lash out at any rate. He opened his mouth, words threatening to tumble out, but bit his tongue as he spotted several passersby that were standing nearby as Shiamun stopped walking for a moment. A piece of fabric had caught his eye and Yugi snorted in amusement and momentary disgust as he walked around him to look at a small lamb a little girl was holding. The young animal sported a beautiful russet coat, a pale cream-colored face, and wide brown eyes that seemed to almost stare through him but see him all at once. Its feet twitched gently, cloven toes flexing almost as if to reach to him for a split second before they went still and Yugi admired the dark, almost black legs of the little animal before turning back to his grandfather.

He rolled his eyes as he saw that his gaze was still glued to the woman that had caught his attention moments before. Yugi turned his gaze back on the little lamb for a second, wondering vaguely if perhaps it was going to end up being eaten considering its placement in the marketplace. It seemed rather disturbing and unhappy a thought as it passed through his mind but he turned away again, not wanting to focus on such a thing. Finally he took note of the woman that his grandfather's attention was on so fully, mind already circulating back to Atemu and wondering if he was still so upset as to need to get away from him before he woke. The thought made his stomach clench even as his eyes roamed momentarily over the light blue silk of the woman's dress.

It was not too odd to see slight variations of color in dressings, though most hues remained light so as not to draw on the wrath of the sun and certainly almost all shades of cloth were white or close to. It was more interesting that there was no beading or anything remotely similar that drew more features to the dress she wore. Most women, when wearing such a beautiful shade of color, liked to it threaded with beads or a sash of a darker shade around their waist to emphasize the shapeliness of their figure. But despite the sash being nonexistent, Yugi had to admit that his eyes did record the shape and width of her waist, frowning in puzzlement and a momentary disgust. She seemed to be underweight, malnourished, as the fabric seemed to swallow her shallow body completely, giving no bit of emphasis on a frame worthy of any desire or admiration.

His eyebrow rose and he gave his grandfather a slightly disgusted and overly questioning side glance, snorting when he found Shiamun growing just as undone by the sight as he was. Yugi snickered softly, getting a sideways glance in response that made his grandfather's aged plum-colored eyes narrow in slight amusement.

"I don't think there is much I really _can_ do," he finally sighed unhappily, redirecting the conversation to give his grandfather some relief from staring at the woman in question. It was hardly anything he wanted to think of anyways, the vizier with a woman, somewhat undone by the concept. When he saw that he had captured his attention fully, his discomfort grew in spikes, a cold chill settling over his bones momentarily, and he winced when he pulled at the soft skin of his finger with the edge of his teeth. A momentary pain shot through the digit but settled immediately once more and he quickly pulled his hand away from his mouth, hoping he had not drawn blood. If he wiped blood on his shenti and Atemu spotted it—and there was no question that he would; it was only a matter of when—he would never see the end of it. The younger boy was always keen on having him kept at his happiest, healthiest, and he would go on and on about it if Yugi didn't immediately tell him how it happened, when it happened. Atemu was always worried about him whenever he so much as tore a nail, bringing caring to a whole new level and managing to make him crazy but feel warm with the attention that he gave as well. "I guess I will just have to talk to him and see if I can make it up to him. I do not think there's much hope to consider another option."

"Do you think he wants you to apologize to him?" Shiamun asked with a raised brow; Yugi might never have noticed it in the moments of his guilt, but he had witnessed plenty the way that the pharaoh's face twisted when he made apologies to him. He had always found it rather amusing, though the image in his head was nothing to laugh about. Atemu's lips would grow thin, set in a firm line, his eyes would darken until they looked almost black, and he would wear a heavy expression of disappointment that made him seem so much older than he actually was. When the words left the older boy's mouth, Atemu always got the same gleam in his eyes, immediately shifting his body slightly to the right, making it impossible to mistake his distaste.

"Well, what else am I supposed to do?" Yugi snapped unhappily, throwing his hands up in avid annoyance and shaking his head sharply. "He has to still be upset about it or else he would never have left me like that. He has never done that before!"

"Putting emphasis on the statement by repetition is not going to make me want to change my views, Yugi," Shiamun stated softly, giving him a sympathetic look that spoke volumes of his misunderstanding despite his attempt at explanation. He probably thought that maybe Atemu had just needed to get up and leave his chambers or go for a walk in the gardens, as he was known to do at night. But the problem with that assumption was that Atemu never failed to drag him out of his slumber and make him come along, be it for a walk or to jump into the pool in the garden. He always woke him, first to tell him that he was going to do whatever and then to ask or guilt him into going with him, never one to just leave without speaking to him.

He pursed his lips, glancing around with relief to find that no one was close by to see what they were doing nor listen to what was being said. If someone actually did turn their attention to them, listening in, it was considered punishable by death simply because it would be thought of as marketplace gossip the moment another spoke a word of it. The fact that it held the name of the pharaoh, spoken on tongues that were not royal, meant certain death for anyone foolish enough to do so. And he was well aware that Atemu would follow through with it, no matter what he said on the matter; he had done so before, his hand forced by Seth's insistence despite the woman's awful pleas and sobbing voice. Yugi had pleaded until he himself was rendered nearly voiceless, eyes wide and begging Atemu to reconsider, but as sweet as the younger boy was, he was not one to turn his nose up at his own reputation or duties. And with Seth whispering in his ear like a snake, his voice had fallen on deaf ears though Atemu had given him small pleading looks to figure out a way around it despite there being none. Yugi shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, and then bit his lip harshly as he turned to glance at the lamb again for a split second.

He had never been one for senseless violence and he was terribly glad that Atemu seemed to have picked up that trait from him as well as his own parents. The pharaoh seemed to appreciate not having to kill without mercy or reason, but even he was unable to keep from doing as necessary at times. Turning away from having that woman executed would have made him seem weak, and the others would pounce upon him like lions, sensing his vulnerability and going for the kill. Yugi was grateful that Atemu was not a lamb in that aspect, though he remained rather innocent at times and retained his sweet and gentle nature.

He was, more or less, like a jackal in that aspect. The canines ran in a pack, mated for life, cared for their young without question, and lived in a relative peaceful way amongst themselves. However, the moment they were threatened, they wielded their teeth and lashed out with fury that put the crocodile to shame. Between the cackles they made when they grew angry and the sharp teeth they showed off upon feeling threatened, one could easily see the rage and power in those eyes. If their body did not make too much of a difference in combat, their eyes and the strength that swelled in them surely did. That male they had ridden with had given a taste of it, no matter how weakened and restrained he was.

He still remembered those sharp, enraged golden eyes, its gaze so dark with hatred that it had turned a terrifying black. They had peered through him, taunting with power and laughter and cunning that chilled him to the bone. Like the god they presented, the animal was not one to be taken lightly, proving itself a nasty foe in the way of attempting to turn its teeth on the camel that it had been bound to. It had been unable to do much, but he remembered the strange way that it had begun to bash its chin against the larger animal's leg, startling it and nearly making it turn on Shiamun. He supposed it was a testament of the animal's vicious will to survive, even giving his eyes a new light of pure laughter and hatred that made him want to quake in horror.

Yugi shook the memory off, head snapping away from the lamb at the thought of just what a jackal could do to such a small body. Atemu was like both animals, mixing somewhere between, with fangs like a viper's and speed to match, but a gentle side that made many mistake him for weak. It was a stark contrast to that of Seth's nature, the way the other would often show his more brutal side but give moments of reprieve if he saw that Atemu was struggling or too hurt to really do much. He thought sometimes that Seth didn't know his own strength, destroying and hurting more than he truly meant to, and that his more vicious attacks towards his cousin were meant to be mere power play. But he knew that he was most often on the receiving end of Atemu's anger, when he truly showed his teeth and lashed out, and he always waited for Seth to take the hint and leave him alone. He guessed that Atemu must have done more than just give warning this time, seeing as he had yet to witness the cousins clashing or letting loose their tempers on each other.

"But it's true. He never has before and I think I hurt him a lot more than I originally considered."

"So then apologize as you planned. He is probably far past it by now, so it might be a waste of time to seek him out just to say that to him," the vizier commented, a bit of an afterthought that made Yugi stiffen momentarily.

He blinked once, scowling at him angrily before shaking his head sharply in annoyance. It didn't matter if perhaps the pharaoh had gotten past it in their time apart, just that Atemu actually knew he regretted hurting him so mindlessly. But, of course, Shiamun was no longer completely focused on his thoughts of the situation, instead gazing at the woman once more as if he expected her to suddenly have become more beautiful in the time he had looked away. "Maybe," he snapped, frustrated with how little his grandfather paid attention and the way that this nameless woman seemed to take more priority than his own situation.

But, in retrospect, what more was there that he could do? He had to see if Atemu really was that upset with his accidental flinch because he already knew he could not live with himself if he truly had hurt him so extremely. He shook the thought off, glancing at the woman his grandfather was eyeing and appreciating the soft blue silk cloth she wore before turning away quickly. He narrowed his eyes, frowning at his own thoughts as they circled suddenly to the harem, remembering that some of the concubines wore such colors during performances such as dances or even warming others' beds. So many of the women in the harem now were convinced that Atemu would end up choosing them as his next companion on a long night. The rumors had been around forever, since Atemu had been circumcised and chosen him as his partner the week after it had healed enough for his rite into adulthood.

A bit of frustration and confusion swept through him as he glanced over his shoulder once more, frowning as he took in the piece of cloth. The bright blue gave off a glimmer like silk, seemingly glistening, and Yugi found himself slightly puzzled by the sight of it, wrinkling his nose in disdain a moment later. It was beautiful, yes, but it seemed to be terribly mundane and outdone in its task of giving the woman a more satisfying appearance that her face lacked horribly.

Her eyes were like those of a snake's, glistening like cold rocks with pupils that seemed far too small. They were sharp in design, with eyelashes that were unusually thin and unshapely. Her skin was somewhat pale, with less pigment to his own or Atemu's or Shiamun's, taking on a sandy shade whereas theirs was richer and held more depth. And her cheek was horribly marred with a scar that was hideously inflicted on her skin, a long line downwards and two crossing it, just beneath her left eye. But, most confusing, was just how sharp her features seemed, far more masculine and lacking any femininity that he could possibly hope to think of as even the slightest bit pretty.

His amusement spiked as his grandfather's head snapped away immediately, expression startled and disgusted, and Yugi fought to keep from laughing his heart out as he started walking as if flames were biting his heels. "Yugi, hurry up," he commanded loudly, the blue-violet-eyed boy cracking up as he raced after him eagerly, not once sparing the ugly woman a glance and shaking his head in amusement.

"That is what you get for having such roaming eyes," he snickered, narrowly dodging the good-natured kick Shiamun aimed for his shin, the younger laughing heartily and smirking widely. He quickly regained his place at his side, smug as the vizier gave him a soft glare of amusement and then turned away again with a shake of his head that spoke of laughter.

Now Yugi just had to wonder if it would be this easy trying to gain back Atemu's favor if he had truly lost it.

The thought made his skin feel hot and his stomach twist violently as he glanced over his shoulder to take in the high walls of the palace in the distance, distorted with the heat of the sun but still as tall and powerful as ever. The limestone gave off the most brilliant glare the desert had to offer, standing so tall that Yugi had the urge to crane his neck to take it all in even with the distance. He narrowed his eyes, squinting against the reflection of bright sunlight, and wished vaguely that he had the power to see the new pharaoh moving about somewhere within its numerous walls.

* * *

 **The ancient Egyptians had a certain clay mixture that they would use to clean their mouths when they woke up and got a bath. The bath was literally just—if you were wealthy—someone dumping a bowl of water over your head. If you were the pharaoh, you were bathed in water and then oils (and sometimes perfumes) and the servants would dry you off with a new set of perfectly white clothing. There was always a servant in charge called the "washer of the pharaoh" and one who would clean laundry called the "chief bleacher" because their clothes ALWAYS had to be completely spotless white.**

 **They did have tubs but (from what I could tell from research) they were not really used and could have the bottom hollowed out for coals to be put under it so that the water heated to a more comfortable temperature. Hairbrushes and combs did exist but most Egyptians had their heads and bodies shaved of hair entirely to avoid the possible bacteria (they shaved or plucked hair). They did also have shampoo that would lather up but it was obviously rarely used considering the lack of hair…**

 **Natron was used to help dry their skin after washing as it was used to dehydrate organs in preparation for embalming ceremonies.**

 **They also had foot doctors and did manicures/pedicures though obviously it wasn't the same as the ones nowadays.**

 **They had mirrors that were called sun discs, with a disc of polished metal like bronze or copper used to let them see their reflections. They, like hairbrushes and combs, were often buried with pharaohs and queens in their tombs. The handles usually had falcons like that of Horus or plants—less likely but still possible—naked women who would support the sun disc.**

 **Habibi-beloved**

 **The pharaohs ate outside in the gardens, on some goose-feather-filled pillows.**

 **"The worst things: to be in bed and sleep not, to want for one who comes not, to try to please and please not." –an Egyptian proverb**

 **Ancient Egyptians DID have mattresses but no one actually knows what they were made of or what they looked liked because none of them were recovered. But odds are they were probably filled with goose feathers or wool or something of that kind.**

 **Pillows were actually not commonly used in bedrooms, but rather they used the headrests of the beds when they slept. (Obviously Atemu tends to ignore the headrests and pillows and just tends to sleep in the middle of the bed with Yugi by personal preference so that's why the bed is larger than it would have been otherwise—they would have held enough room for two people but not past that.)**

 **Apparently the Egyptians also had a system in which the pharaoh could be voted out of his position and another nominated in his place. I'm not entirely sure how it worked, but several websites claimed it could have happened though there are no actual records of it having happened.**

 **I'll mention more of this as the story goes along (specifically the harem, the secondary wives, etc).**


	3. Chapter III

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Warning: Some slight cursing, small mentions of blood**

 **Update Schedule: I'll be updating every two days**

 **Some of the timeline for Yu-Gi-Oh was altered (i.e. the time that Atemu's father dies, the time that Atemu visits the tombs for that blessing from the gods, Atemu's coronation, etc) and obviously the attitude Atemu has. I just can't see him being too much of an ass and power hungry if Yugi was in his life back then, especially with the way that he spends most of his time with him in this story and did so growing up as well. And the circumstances of the story, because those have a massive impact on him as well.**

 **SOME of the roles of the hierarchy are altered somewhat (which comes up later in the story), SPECIFICALLY Yugi's as a scribe/vizier-in-training, Shiamun's as the vizier, some of Atemu's, slightly the women of the harem, and some of Isis's, Mahado's and Mana's.**

 **(More story information at the bottom...)**

 **Have fun with the argument, Echo~ I honestly forgot it was in here and got a VERY pleasant surprise going over it~**

* * *

Chapter III

Yugi found Atemu long after the sun had reached its zenith and the heat had grown almost unbearable, the air heavy and his body feeling weighted with the sunlight his clothes had absorbed, bearing the strength of the harsh beams. His head hurt, every bit of skin itching with the rejuvenation of the former burns he had obtained from his travels with his grandfather. The honey had done its work in the two days he had been putting it to use, but his skin had gained a vague sting from the sun's heavy rays, and he was not keen on moving too much before or after he found the pharaoh. He shook his head, already relieved to find that the shadows of the palace walls had taken to the task of relieving some of the heat that coiled in his flesh like hidden snakes. A bead of sweat glistened as it trailed down the tip of his nose and Shiamun continued walking in front of him, leading the way to seek the pharaoh out to report to him taxes that would need to be gathered and the state of the homage that would be sent soon enough. He focused on that glistening little drop of moisture, wrinkling his nose to make it fall, and drew in a deep, steadying breath of the burning incense, relieved with the welcoming scent. They must have just changed the burning herbs, as he could still smell the morning's amidst the new, softer scent that he had always loved after a day of travel or being with Atemu in the garden. As much as he loved the incenses, however, they simply paled in comparison to the more natural smell of the flowers and the trees in the garden's courtyard and the blossomed lotuses that lay on the water had a scent that could never be replicated, no matter the perfumes that used the intoxicating aromas.

He nearly ran into the vizier, flustered by his sudden jerk of movement that led to the entrance hall and thus the throne, Yugi breathing a small sigh of relief when he spotted Atemu there already. The happiness was short-lived, eyes wide as he took in their query speaking low under his breath towards Isis who looked startled by the ferocity that Yugi could feel bathing the air like sunlight. The strength that Atemu exerted in that moment put the heat of the desert to shame, the incense's uplifting scent seemingly buried beneath his anger and making the air thick with overbearing darkness. The high priestess looked almost horrified and distinctly terrified, eyes wide and her breath coming out in almost shaky little gasps that made her frame rattle slightly.

She nodded after a moment, a quick, jerky motion that made Yugi feel sick to his stomach, and her blue gaze shot towards them with both warning and momentary confusion before she briskly turned away and quit the room. He stiffened, watching her go with wide eyes, and allowed his gaze to slowly take in the pharaoh, unsure of what more to do with himself as the monarch shook his head in sharp movements that announced his rage without question. His movements grew steadily jerky, hinting at a restlessness that Yugi recognized from years before when his father had first grown ill, something that unnerved him far more than even the look on Isis's face as they spoke. The sharp twist of his neck when he turned his head to glare at them for intrusion was pronounced with a loud pop that made him fight away a flinch.

"Shiamun, Yugi," the monarch addressed them coldly, voice lingering for a moment on the other boy's name before some of his irritation seemed to melt away as his eyes locked with his. A split second gleam of fury coated his gaze, painting it the color of freshly spilled blood, and then it was gone again as his shoulders fell from where they had formerly been raised as if he had been threatened. His attention fell on the wall, near one of the stands that the incense burned on, and his jaw flexed, working to fight off the clench that had held it captive only moments before. Yugi watched him fidget briefly with the Puzzle that fell against his abdomen and then noted his hand work to momentarily brush against the crown on his forehead before he snatched it away as if he had been burned. The pharaoh looked lost for a moment, blinking slowly before tipping his head towards them with a tired and bored expression, giving Shiamun a single glance in acknowledgment of his need to speak.

He drowned out his grandfather's voice, already knowing the report he was giving. Homage was being sent to pronounce loyalty to Atemu, several new families had migrated further east to live in Karnak, more taxes could be taken due to the bountiful growth of crop and grain, he would mention a few new works that would be put in the archives, and then he would end the conversation with news of the steady amount of rainfall and balanced levels of the Nile. Instead, Yugi invested all of his attention in the other boy, watching the way his face changed with each bit of news that Shiamun had to offer him, almost appearing like a student eager to learn of his tasks for the day. He watched his face fall momentarily at the news of the new families, as if burdened by the very thought, and even more so when he spoke of the homage and the archives. His face seemed to lose every bit of emotion or desire to listen, something that would have been familiar to him from the many times growing up that Atemu had become bored with conversation or teachings. But now his face rearranged itself in ways that were foreign, so distinctly blank that it made Yugi's heart hurt and his stomach twist in despair and unfamiliarity, a cold sensation creeping through his bones with the desire to vomit. The news of the Nile's water being at the appropriate level made his eyes glitter like precious rubies, controlled delight and peace lighting his features to give him a glow that Yugi had only really witnessed before when they were younger. His lips twitched, begging to pull into a smile, but the effort died away again just as quickly when Shiamun brought up the archives once more, his voice ringing with a small bit of urgency that made Atemu's jaw twitch.

Immediately every bit of emotion left his face as if it had never existed in the first place, his jaw's momentary jerks the only sign he was listening or even so much as taking an interest in his responsibilities. The light in the room gave him sight of how dark his eyes had grown, a blank mist seeming to shroud them, and the steady glow of sunlight on his skin hardly gave him any relief of the darkness he showed them there. His skin looked as if it had grown tighter in the few hours they had been apart, his cheekbones showing with more pronouncement, and when his eyelids lowered in a long, drawn out blink of blank disdain, he swore he thought even the spidery web of lashes had grown thin and small. It was as if the life were being drawn out of him like blood drained from his body, and his dark eyes narrowed as they locked more pointedly with the eldest male's. In that look, Yugi swore that, for a split second, Atemu could no longer see them, as if his thoughts could somehow transcend time and space. His jaw worked once more, clenching as if he were offended but relaxing immediately after, a spasm of muscle that made Yugi's bones grow cold.

Slowly but surely, his glassy, dazed gaze began to clear itself as Shiamun continued, the vizier giving his grandson a sideways glance that seemed to release Atemu from whatever spell his mind had conjured through eye contact with him. Another small mention of taxes made the pharaoh blink slowly, almost as if in a daze, and then his eyes narrowed into slits, glinting like a knife aimed with the intent to draw fresh blood.

"Is that all you have to tell me?" he finally ground out a minute later when Shiamun fell silent and seemed to be staring at him expectantly, as if awaiting dismissal but unsure of how to voice the concept. The vizier nodded after a moment, but the look on his face grew more determined when Yugi glanced at him to take in his response, and the older boy's head snapped towards the red-eyed monarch curiously. He knew how often they had these silent little talks, Atemu being as private a person as he was and Shiamun unwilling to let Yugi hear whatever it was that he had to say. A million different things could flash between them, faces twisting and eyes gleaming dangerously, but none of that seemed to be happening now. Shiamun kept that stubbornly determined, pointed look on his face and Atemu met him with a bored expression that doubled into blank dismissal, his right hand making a lazy motion for him to take his leave.

Shiamun let out a grunt that bordered disappointed irritation and avid disgust and then turned away from the two, Yugi suddenly eager for a split second to follow him like a faithful dog. Fear and uncertainty sprang into him when he found that Atemu was watching the second highest-ranking political leader in the palace with that same devastatingly blank look. The older boy wondered momentarily if he should make a run for it, unnerved terribly by the way that those red eyes looked glassy with a hollowness that made his heart beat too quickly with confusion. He entertained the thought of escape for a moment, eyeing the distance that fell between him and the other entrance to the main hall, but he knew the moment he moved was when Atemu's attention would be his solely. And if he ran, he was sure whatever chasm had sprung between them would only grow so much more, maybe to the point that—with all of this confusion—they would not be able to scale the distance.

Those red eyes found his suddenly, the monarch's head snapping in his direction as if he had forgotten about his place before him altogether. For a moment he seemed confused, blinking slowly as he tilted his head, and Yugi watched his irises darken, the new hue familiar and discomforting all at once. The color spread from the very edges of his pupils and swirled outwards to blanket the outer layer of his disoriented irises, focus bleeding into his sight and making the younger boy become more aware. Slowly he tipped his head up some, looking him over momentarily, and his voice was calm and quiet as he murmured, "How was your trip with your grandfather? Did you learn anything new? See anything worthy of being retold?"

The attempt at small talk was lacking, terribly hollow in both of their ears, but Yugi forced himself to keep his voice light and friendly as he replied, "Not too much to see, actually. It was more just the marketplace and the neighboring villages that Shiamun mentioned. There was this one woman who had this light blue dress and Shiamun thought that it was beautiful so he kept staring at her until she turned around. Then when she looked at him, he was really unhappy when he saw how ugly she was."

Atemu chuckled softly, smirking momentarily before pausing and glancing at the hallway's exit to see if anyone were to approach the throne room. When he seemed satisfied with the silence that met his strained ears and the lack of bodies coming towards the hall, he finally turned to him once more, eyes warm and darkened with amusement. The expression was so familiar to him that he wanted to melt into it, a smile tugging at his lips as it always did when exposed to Atemu's laughter. "She must have been truly hideous for you to say such a thing as that," he commented playfully, tilting his head as Yugi hesitantly thought his words over.

"She…had the face of a man, Atemu, with a well-defined jaw and narrow eyes and even a nasty scar running under her left eye," he commented slowly, frowning as he considered, drawing upon his memory for a more accurate description. What about that woman had been so terribly off to him as he had looked at her? It was more than just her masculine features, though they were off putting by all means. There had been something about those glittering eyes, like a leering serpent's, that had thrown both himself and Shiamun off balance upon seeing her turn their way. It was not just the fabric of her dress or the scar but something about the way those eyes had fallen upon them. He had not been close enough to gain knowledge of the color but he was sure that they were dark, at least, and sharp enough that it made his skin feel as if he were being pricked with needles. But he did know that whatever it was far surpassed the masculinity that her face possessed, the raw strength that her malnourished frame seemed to project even in that brief moment.

Atemu wrinkled his nose faintly, smile fading for a moment as he tried to picture it and failed, growing a little disgusted by the idea as he tilted his head. "Either way, I had not expected you to be the one to say such a thing as that," he murmured, shrugging as if to dismiss his own thoughts.

Yugi opened his mouth to make a rebuke but instead found himself shaking his head and mumbling, "And I had not expected you to leave me this morning before I woke, so I suppose there are surprises all around for the two of us, hmm, Atemu?"

The pharaoh blinked wide eyes as the comment and his cheeks heated in embarrassment, a narrow strip of red noticeable even beneath the rich caramel of his skin. "I woke up and could not get back to sleep," he grumbled, rolling his sharp red eyes and sighing softly. "So, I decided to wander around until I was tired enough to attempt sleep again. However, that did not happen, so I wound up speaking with Seth and Akunadin instead."

The older boy narrowed his eyes in slight suspicion, unsure of whether or not he should believe that statement or not. He knew there was a block of time in between Atemu's awakening and that of which he would have sought out the company of the two priests for discussion of whatever it was that he had desire to speak of so early. He knew simply because that sense of detachment he had been engulfed with upon waking up had been far more pronounced to have been separation for a mere handful of minutes. Hours had to have passed, Atemu waking sometime deep in the night and finding himself searching the palace, and a pit of jealousy was already welling through him as he stared at the other boy.

No one just wandered the palace in the dead of night like that; it just was not something that happened, especially when it came to the monarch before him. If Atemu had gotten up and started out of the room, then he had a purpose for doing so, and he was pretty sure his presence in his bed would have made him reluctant to bring one of the concubines back there. He was not one for hurting him in such a way as to bring another back to his chambers while he was with him. He did not even think Seth had such a cold demeanor as to do so, nor to lie to the face of someone he had claimed so often to love.

Yugi's lip curled slightly, frustrated with his own thoughts but knowing that something was terribly wrong with this discussion and the very boy in front of him. Atemu must have gone to the harem, found someone there, and spent the night with them in their chambers without thinking to come back to see him when he suspected he would be waking up. He did not really wish to accuse him of that, not when the thought only made him want to lash out and snap at him angrily, but there was nothing else that seemed to match this scenario. And he recognized that the monarch was most certainly hiding something from him. It was in the way that his crimson eyes glittered, wide and unblinking, staring into his and trying to find something else to say as silence stretched between them and the irritation became more apparent on his face.

"What?" the younger boy finally asked, voice giving off a frustrated confusion that nearly had the power to make Yugi relent with the thought that perhaps Atemu really did not understand why he should look at him in such a way. However, Yugi also realized that he had never truly shown Atemu his more absolute temper when they had fought formerly, because most of those were nothing to focus on in the first place. Most often it was just him teaching something to Atemu that the other was not always quite ready to listen to and understand. Their spats were mostly about foolish decisions on his behalf that caused the monarch to lash out because he was reluctant to truly have to learn it all even with Yugi as his teacher. He was growing up far faster than any of the other children in the palace and he had always hated his future role as the king of Kemet, trying and failing to push it all away. Yugi had always sympathized with him on that matter, constantly worrying about the possibility that he would crack beneath the strain of his responsibilities.

He hardly thought that Atemu was a weak link, but he was still so young and held so many childish features and desires that it hurt to truly take notice of the crown upon his head. Being forced to grow too fast, Atemu had struggled with leaving some of his more fun activities behind, especially where it concerned Yugi, and some of the fits he had thrown would have made the gods tremble. All of those times, Yugi had snapped and snarled at him to grow up, to figure things out without him having to hold his hand, and every time he had been rewarded with Atemu trying but only after giving him such a hurt look that it made him want to hold him for hours instead.

"I don't suppose that you would rather _admit_ to what you really doing than try to lead me around in circles?" he suggested coldly, narrowing his eyes slowly and watching the way that the younger boy's gaze grew wide and shocked, confusion lingering around his pupils. He looked like he had just been admonished, as if Yugi had threatened to strike him or had told him once more that he had to grow up and figure things out on his own. The older boy suppressed a shudder at the startled expression, as if Atemu were a tiny child again who wanted nothing more than Yugi at his side constantly for protection and affection he got from no one else.

"What do you mean?"

"Really, Atemu? Must you insist on these games?"

The monarch tilted his head, the movement stiff and calculated as his eyes grew into slits of unease and frustration. "Why don't you explain to me what it is that you're accusing me of first?" he bit out icily, a snarl underlining his cold words. "Have you been listening to things you should not have, Yugi?"

"Listening to things I shouldn't have?" the older boy scoffed, shaking his head in annoyance and giving him a harsh glare that he hoped would help to make the other crack. "What is there to listen to that I should have turned my attention away from, Atemu? Perhaps you sneaking around to please yourself in the middle of the night?"

For a split second the monarch looked absolutely shocked and puzzled, at first too stunned to even react, and then he bristled furiously. His shoulders rose and his body grew as stiff as the stone that surrounded them, his eyes flashing with momentary hatred as his lip curled back. "You did not just accuse me of using some whore's body to my satisfaction," he spat angrily, trembling once with pure disgust and rage.

"No one just wanders the palace at night, Atemu, and you have only ever left the safety of your room when you have your mind set on gain."

"What need do I have for a common concubine when I have a whore at my beck and call whose always willing to spread his legs?" Atemu sneered, trembling harder. "What use is the harem when you are constantly in my bed?"

"I remember many nights where you found your way into mine and not the other way around, Atemu."

"And how often have you ever shunned my advances, Yugi? Not once."

"And how often have you ever turned me away, Atemu? You cannot name a single time, can you?"

"Oh, but isn't it a _privilege_ to be accepted into my bed in the first place?"

"I don't suppose it's much of a privilege any longer. I am willing to bet that everyone must have visited at one time or another by now," he scoffed viciously, voice sharp and cold as Atemu's head tilted at the accusation, eyes lighting with disgust.

"Maybe, maybe not," he snapped back, his defensive stance growing tenfold, body pulled tight as a string as his lip curled back and showed off his teeth in disdain. "But it is my right as the monarch to invite into my bed whoever I see _fit_."

"You seem to be lacking standards," Yugi spat, blood heating with fury at the other boy's haughty expression. "If a peasant so much as gives you a wayward look, I have no doubt that you would leap at the chance to have them."

Atemu fought back a flinch, disguising it with a snarl. "Learn your place, you stupid boy," he snapped angrily. "Your grandfather may be my vizier but you are nothing more than expendable."

Yugi did not so much as blink at the threat, instead taking a step forward and smirking widely as he closed some distance between them. Both of them were well aware that the statement held no weight, that Atemu held him higher than anyone else now that his father had passed into the afterlife. Expendable or not, Yugi would never have to worry about a true threat from the other boy. "Is that so?" he murmured slowly, making his voice dip as smoothly as a viper slipping through the sand. "If I am so expendable, _Atemu_ , then why do you always waste your time courting me and not your precious concubines? Are they no fun for you anymore? Do they not writhe to your liking? Or perhaps their constant chant of your _title_ makes you turn your nose up at them?"

He flushed faintly, bristling and trying to gain an inch by jutting his chin defiantly, eyes gleaming viciously. "A more pleasant lay than you will ever be," he snapped, feeling cold and hollow inside with the sharp statement but refusing to take it back.

"Very well. So then go find someone else to warm your bed in my absence, Atemu."

"You're turning away from me?" he spat viciously, feeling his cheeks heat at how childishly spoiled and stunned his tone had become. He sounded like a petulant five-year-old who had been denied a piece of fruit at the dinner table, threatening to throw a tantrum immediately if he was not given his desire. He bristled, angry at himself and wanting to lash out but finding it impossible to do so.

Any more words spoken would come in the same tone and he refused to allow Yugi to turn him into the spoiled brat that he had been formerly growing up. He had no time to become that boy again, thoughtlessly needing the older to guide him with his hand in his and soft words of praise. No matter how much he desired to slip back in time to be that worthless child again, he refused to do so. That boy would have to remain in his past, buried beneath his title but always there, lurking beneath the surface and begging for attention and time with Yugi.

"Your response just reminded me of how rare that kind of thing is for you," Yugi snorted coldly, rolling his eyes and glaring at him angrily as he readied himself to turn on his heel and wander for the exit to find the path to his chambers once more. "Then allow me to declare this the first time. Go find someone else to pass the time with because I do not plan to be the next of your pleasurable fucks."

Atemu shook violently like a wild horse fighting with its new master, his entire body trembling viciously and making Yugi's frame grow stiff with alarm, shocked by the sight in front of him. For a moment his mind supplied him with the dangerous fire of the jackal's eyes, gold turned black and bottomless, its frame straining against its bindings and its jaws eager to dig into his flesh. Just as the canine had done whenever he turned his sight upon it, the monarch before him breathed out raggedly through his teeth, eyes taking on a heat more violent than the sun, and spat, "And you say that _I_ am a child? Look at yourself, Yugi. You have no evidence but your suspicions and would like to fault me on my own responsibilities as a pharaoh—something that you yourself were saying I needed to abide by only a rise ago. Tell me, Yugi, is that the maturity you speak of? Because I think for all your age, you have nothing to hold over me with how childish and stupid you are acting where I am concerned."

"You make me childish and stupid, you selfish brat!" Yugi snarled angrily, glaring viciously and shaking his head sharply in annoyance. "You make me resort to being a mindless little child because that is what it _takes_ to merely be around you, Atemu."

"And yet, were you not the one burdened with the task of being my sole guardian growing up with my father became sick? No, that was before, when my mother died. Isn't that funny, Yugi? Because, if I consider _that_ , it seems that I could perhaps simply be a reflection of _you_."

"If that were true, I would be too foolish to function."

"Yes, but what do you do but lie on your back and wait for me?"

"That is _your_ role, _not_ mine. And such a pharaoh you will make, always on your back and ungrateful for everything he is and ever has been given!"

"Was my time with you supposed to be a _gift_?" he asked coldly, laughing sardonically around the pain in his chest. "Because I never wanted that. I never _asked_ you to offer yourself and I certainly never asked for you to watch me grow up. I was never the one who came to you when I was so painstakingly lonely. You have always found your way to _me_."

"Oh, okay, I see. So then, what were all those nights that you wandered into my room with that glum little face during your father's sickness, hmm, Atemu? Tell me, what do you call that?"

He stayed silent for only a moment, pushing away the pain at the mention of those nights when his father's illness was new and he sought his attention constantly. He ignored the lump that threatened to form in his throat at the momentary thought of his mother's passing and his father asking Yugi to take Atemu on as something of a student, becoming all but his sole guardian when he had agreed.

"What do I call that? I call that being a child who had to grow up too quickly to bear. I was a child and I was forced to grow up faster than anyone else while you had the option to merely learn as a scribe and care for me afterwards. You had freedom but I was chained to a role that was coming far too quickly for me to manage alone!" he snarled angrily, shaking his head to banish the sting behind his eyes at the thought of it all. He had no desire to relive the moments that Yugi had scorned him for being knocked off his feet. He was two years older than him, with far more possibility to his life than Atemu had ever had the hope of experiencing, and he had always been angry with him when he could not hold his head above it all like Yugi thought fitting of him. "I may have gone to you for comfort while my father was sick but I did not ask you to follow me like a pet while I was growing up. I did not ask you to intervene when Seth and I fought and I most certainly did not _need_ it."

"You didn't _need_ it?" Yugi laughed loudly, a cackling noise akin a hyena, the sound making Atemu snarl low in his throat with discomfort. "You had it under control, huh, Atemu? You thought that maybe if you got some space between the two of you, you could figure out how to face him? You were the runt of a litter of children—even among the damn harem, you were too quiet and small to stand on your own. And your cousin was always _so_ particularly interested in just how little strength you truly possessed. So tell me again that you did not need it."

The pharaoh narrowed his eyes into slits, furious, but did not speak for a moment, instead seeming to lose himself in his head. He could practically see some of those instances replaying behind the other's dark eyes, Seth knocking him around every chance he got or the other children of the harem picking on him in even the smallest of ways. They were as nasty, but they got to the point that they had pulled Atemu's hair relentlessly and the red-eyed boy had ended up with more cuts and scrapes than was dignified for any young child. He had not even spoken amongst them for a year and a half even after he had first spoken to Yugi, renaming him by accident and giving his father the idea that perhaps the older boy should be the one to guide him. He was the only one that Atemu had even vaguely taken a liking to or looked at for more than a handful of seconds at a time, so it made all the sense in the world for him to be the one asked to take care of him when his mother died and he refused to truly pay attention to his father.

"You seem to be under the misconception that I cannot handle things for myself. And perhaps you think that you have something over me now? But here is where I will gladly bring you back to the reality of this situation," he stated coldly, stepping forward and putting them nearly nose to nose as they glared at each other, red eyes flashing with pure hatred and resentment. "I am your charge no longer. I am the pharaoh now, the morning and the evening star. I am the law and the incarnate of Horus. I am _Atemu_ , the _god_ , named after Ra himself in his form of flesh and blood. And I owe you absolutely _nothing_. You are nothing more than my _former_ guardian and my vizier's grandson, _Heba_."

Yugi fought off a flinch and glowered at him, sneering, "Right. Is that why you have always found your way to me when you are hurting, _pharaoh_? If I am nothing more than the vizier's grandson and your former guardian—asked by your own _father_ to raise you—then why is it that _I_ am always the one that you run to when you get a little scrape?"

"I am not sure I recall going to you for such a _dire_ situation," Atemu drawled slowly, voice dripping with venomous sarcasm, "but I am sure that your memory is never faulty and your words never exaggerated. Oh, I must have horrible memory to be unable to recall such a terrifying event. But tell me, Yugi, if you were so terribly important, why did my father not invite you to come with us to the tombs? Where were you when he asked the gods for a blessing and guidance on my behalf? See, I am very confused, because if you were truly so _significant,_ how could he have overlooked doing such a thing? Could it be that you were not so crucial to my existence as you seem to think you were?"

Yugi flushed, cheeks heating in embarrassment. Where had he been? With his grandfather, among the scribes, doing a ceremony or two for the gods and writing on papyrus and then gawking like a fool when he found Atemu and his father returning. Because he had not even noticed that his charge was gone for the day, something that had always hurt the red-eyed boy more than he had ever admitted growing up.

"If I didn't mean so much, then why is it that you hold that over my head?"

"To highlight your failure as a guardian towards me," he stated evenly, voice flat as he tipped his head to the side and eyed him with a bored expression. "Because if you are _so_ terribly great and so much better than me, then how is it that you did not even notice that I was not there? Some protector you turned out to be, especially when you accuse me of things that you have no right to and forget your tongue when you come before your pharaoh. Such maturity and guidance you have passed on. I am sure by the end of this summer I will have so much wisdom passed on from you that I will not dare even speak the wrong words in front of another. No, I will be the perfect little pharaoh, a _real_ god incarnate among mortals, because my pretentious and divine guardian made it _so_."

Yugi's entire face heated further, eyes wide as he looked at him in utter shock. "I could not have been too terrible," he snarled, "because somehow you managed to survive. And it surely was not by your own hand. You were always too small and _feeble_ to do _anything_ for yourself!"

"If I am small and feeble, it is by no fault short of your own, because my parents could never be considered such a thing!" Atemu spat, bristling fully now and baring his teeth in annoyance, shoulders rising. "Anything that is not groomed to absolute perfection is something that _you_ have passed on to me. The gods know it was not my poor mother or father. No, it was all my pompous _former_ guardian."

"Former, huh, Atemu? That must be why you always have to hold my hand and beg my forgiveness when you so much as look at me the wrong way, right, _pharaoh_? That must be why you keep seeking me out now that my grandfather and I have returned, yes? Because I certainly did not hunt _you_ down."

"I may have asked for your company but if I remember correctly, it was _you_ who expected to be bedded, yes? Correct me if I am wrong, _whore_."

"And correct me if _I_ am wrong, but it was _you_ who could not sleep alone in his own chambers when I got back, yes?"

"I could sleep in my own chambers—"

"Then you admit that you wanted my company."

Atemu tilted his head, realizing the trap he had fallen into and curling his lips back into a cruel smile that made Yugi's heart twist painfully. "Yes, I wanted your company," he allowed, voice low and sharp. "Because I tend to like having the other half of my bed warmed by another body."

He flinched, recoiling violently with wide eyes, unsure of whether the pharaoh was simply retaliating or if he was stating the truth now, as he had suspected for the past two days. He trembled once, unsure of what to do with the statement or the rebuttal that he wanted to throw at him. For a moment they stared at each other and he could see the stubborn coating of ice in the other's eyes, giving him no headway into whether or not he was lying. He bared his teeth, opening his mouth to snarl that perhaps he would get his _own_ concubine to please, but stopped short when another spoke.

"Err…Pharaoh Atemu?"

It had to be the first and only time he had ever heard Seth hesitate, especially in that stuttering tone, and the pharaoh paused in front of him with wide eyes. Both of them blinked at each other, cheeks turning brilliant uniforms of bright red simultaneously, and then turned their attention on him.

" _What_?" he barked, blushing harder and wondering just how much of that argument his cousin had caught. He hoped to Ra that he had not heard too much, but even the tail end of it before he had spoken had been nothing short of disgusting and spiteful. There was nothing he or Yugi had said that was suitable for another's ears. He could feel his heart twisting painfully at the thought, his eyes flickering towards the other for a brief second before focusing on him fully once more.

The brunet ducked his head some, his decency coming in the form of a small blush, and cleared his throat awkwardly before speaking. "This is for your ears only, as you requested," he murmured softly, refusing to look either of them in the eyes. He was not about to be drawn into one of their destructive arguments. He was almost certain that he would lose his mind if he had to suffer through one. They were just too nasty to each other when they fought, something that he was not even slightly amused by the idea of. They took spats to the level of a war among gods and that was just not something he ever wished to witness.

Atemu was about to snap at him that anything he had to say to him could be said in front of Yugi but stopped short immediately. Reality slapped him across the face as he turned back to the other boy whose eyes were glittering with confusion and concern, the heat of their fight forgotten immediately at Seth's stressed tone. They locked eyes for a moment and the monarch remembered in that moment why it was that Yugi was not allowed to know what was to be said.

"You are dismissed."

The words were heavy, worn and tired, and Yugi stared at him in pure shock, hurt flashing through his eyes after a moment before he turned his head to Seth for a split second. His gaze dragged over the priest for a moment, studying for some hint of anything that he could take and run with, and then his mouth worked to open and push words out but found nothing to say as their eyes locked once more. The monarch stared back for a long minute, watching him closely, both of them unsure of what to do next, and then deliberately the red-eyed boy made the pointedly dismissive action of turning his back on him to address his cousin.

* * *

"He is turning away from it as he always has," a cold feminine voice murmured as Yugi started around the corner, heading past one of the audience chambers and stopping short to tilt his head and listen for a moment. "Our pharaoh is acting as a coward in denial."

An automatic response built from years of coming to a much younger Atemu's defense made Yugi start forward with the intent to sink his teeth in and lash out at the woman who dared to call their pharaoh a coward. But for all the rage built up at the statement, he found himself stopping short at the thought that had come about with the recognition of her words. His stomach twisted, guilt flaring in his blood and making his insides wrench violently, and he found himself putting a hand to the smooth stone at his side, the coolness of it helping to calm some of his racing thoughts for the moment. He had referred to Atemu as "their pharaoh" and not his name, something that would not have happened at any time before. He would have referred to him as his name no matter what before, but now he was frustrated with the realization that he had just somehow subconsciously wound up alienating him even further. He almost ducked his head in shame, having thought that he had gotten over what little anger he had actually held towards the other from the day before, forgetting it in the dead of night when he was having trouble finding his dreams. But now he could see that maybe he had not done such a good job in dispelling his frustrations, guilt swarming him violently at the thought.

One of the things that had always been mutual between the two of them, no matter how violent the argument, was that when they lashed out at each other, they always forgot the argument the day after. None of it was taken too seriously but more as some kind of release of frustration and pent up energy that they could not always dispel otherwise. It was taken without resentment towards the other, the barbs forgotten and the scratches mended easily.

His heart sank, wondering frantically for a moment if perhaps Atemu was still upset with him as well. Maybe if he was, he could justify himself at the thought of his own initial disconnection to the pharaoh in his mind. His stomach twisted once more, nervous, but his attention was taken immediately with the conversation that drifted back to him, chasing away his worries in pursuit of words he had no right to hear.

"The thief king is not going to go away anytime soon. He cannot just be ignored," a deeper voice commented, the frown evident in its undertone and making Yugi's interest and confusion peak. Yugi thought he recognized the voice but it seemed like something that he was not entirely sure of as far as his memory went. He felt like he would know the voice if he had been exposed to it more often, but it was stunningly lacking in his mind, taking the least priority at the moment.

Who was the thief king? And why would Atemu have turned a blind eye towards him and his existence?

Was he a threat? If he was, then Atemu would have known already and could have possibly come up with a plan in the meantime while these two stood speaking about it. He had never truly known Atemu to run from a problem, though he sometimes faced them in a childish way that always made him want to smack him. The times that Seth and Atemu had faced off, he remembered Atemu once or twice retaliating violently in the form of knocking sand in his eyes and then ambushing him when he was unable to see clearly. Other times, Atemu had faced him head on with all of the power he had, lashing out and retreating, doing the same thing several times in a row until Seth grew tired, something that Yugi was unhappy to know happened very little.

"I have told him that already. He refuses to listen to me when I speak."

"Then you are having the same problem as us," the second voice sighed, a wistful note creeping into his tone. Yugi tilted his head, still trying to remember around listening as closely as possible. "Our pharaoh is not going to face him."

"He actually _can't_ ," a third voice piped up, high-pitched and slightly irritable. "We can never even find where the thief king is, he moves so often. And after Shiamun reported his sighting to him this morning, Atemu dismissed him immediately and refused to hear him any longer! Is he scared? I have never known a pharaoh to be scared before…"

"Nonsense," the second voice growled, bordering annoyance. "Everyone knows fear. Just because he is our ruler does not mean that he is not allowed to be afraid at times. It is his negligence that has us concerned now."

"Well, I still say he can't fight what no one seems to be able to find! If we expected him to face him—"

"Mana, _hush_."

"But—"

" _Silence_ ," the first voice snapped angrily, hissing softly before a sigh made Yugi tilt his head, straining his ears to listen even more intently. The voices had lowered to a point that it was almost like trying to listen to the softness of a breeze with nothing of words or noise to be offered. "The fact remains that he is not facing his problems. And how is a pharaoh meant to lead if he is too afraid of his own shadow to do anything to save himself?"

Save himself?

Yugi furrowed his brows, unnerved by the statement but shaking it off immediately out of the implausibility of it all. She had to have meant it as a clear show of what little power Atemu seemed to exert while hiding away from all of his responsibilities like this. He would not even do his most simple of duties in providing Egypt with that of an heir or even a spouse, something that would have been so easy if he would have just agreed to do so. Anyone would happily fall to their knees before his every desire, any woman ready to become his if it only meant that they had gained his attention, no matter how small the time spent in his presence. He could have attempted to impregnate the entire harem or the cities around Waset if he would only allow them in his presence for however long it took for them to consummate a momentary union. The thought brought him to a bristle once more, his eyes narrowing in frustration at the concept. He shook his head and leaned more fully against the wall, allowing the chill of the stone to brand his skin and help relieve some of the more darkened thoughts that were crossing his mind.

It did not, however, stop him from thinking that Atemu was being selfish and childish in ignoring what the others had to say, especially in avoiding whatever it was that the "thief king" brought with him. That kind of foolishness could cost them all dearly if Atemu did not raise his head enough to see past his resentment towards the throne and his heritage. He should have outgrown that by now, especially with the fact that his father had already passed and he was stuck with the throne until his death.

He shook his head, frustrated by the idea that Atemu seemed to care for the rest of them so little. Would he rather they fall completely to the point that there was nothing left for them to try to rebuild in structure? All of Kemet could fall beneath his feet if he wasn't careful. He could bring down the entire dynasty.

His mind suddenly backtracked to their ritual in the temple, to the sacrifice that his grandfather made to Anubis. Had that been meant to somehow give Atemu a clue as to how to deal with the thief king? Perhaps Atemu was already forming an idea of what to do to deal with the other. It was possible that he had somehow meant to work out a strategy in the meantime, but then he thought that he could have possibly just sent them for some kind of more selfish need.

His gut twisted guiltily once more, unsure of what to do with himself at the thought and feeling sick to his stomach. Atemu could be selfish, yes, but he had never known him to be cruel or stupid or to turn away when someone else was hurt or needed him at any rate. The pharaoh may have hated his status as the sole ruler of Kemet for its lack of freedom where it concerned his future responsibilities, but he would never have sent them on some kind of task without the full intention of finding a way to protect his people.

Right?

Yugi shivered, unnerved with the doubt that began to creep through him. At the moment he felt as if he scarcely knew himself after experiencing such a jolt at the realization that he had called the other his pharaoh and not by the name he loved so much. The name had always left him with a pleasurable curl of his tongue as it rolled out of his mouth, and it was always beautiful to say, regardless of the resentment it seemed to bring the boy himself at times. Being named after a god in its human form was obviously not something that Atemu had ever desired. And now the pharaoh seemed to have changed so much already. The thought made him fight off a shiver, scared that he might have somehow lost sight of the pharaoh as he was now and not as he had been then.

"So what do we do in the meantime? We have no plan and our pharaoh refuses to address such a dire matter. He has given us no direction on how to deal with him and he says that anyone who does try to go against the thief king will be openly executed."

Yugi stiffened, eyes wide in shock at the statement; Atemu had threatened to kill anyone who tried to deal with a scourge that everyone else was so distinctly worried about? He would have them executed for trying to help him with a common threat? If the thief king was truly so terrible that he was a menace to their pharaoh, did it not make him a danger to those outside of the palace as well?

Surely, even as removed as he seemed to be from him at that moment, he would not kill someone for defending themselves?

Yugi bristled at the thought, glancing over his shoulder and wondering what he would say to defend himself if that happened. But was there anything he could say to truly defend himself, his decisions, without the older boy wishing to harm him for his short-sightedness? There were many things that the other boy still lacked as a monarch, made clear by this alone if the statement was true. Perhaps he would not even give him an explanation, instead turning his nose up at the very concept of having to do so. As the pharaoh he had the ability to declare Yugi's question unworthy of any semblance of an answer.

But then, he supposed he did not have all of the information since he had not yet spoken to the pharaoh. Yugi was well aware that he had not used the monarch's name now, still bristling with disbelief and confusion at the thought of his negligence and possible disregard for his people's lives.

"Can't we just…attempt a spell or…a prayer or…something? Perhaps if we asked Ma'at for guidance she would help him to clear his mind some? O-or we could give him a poultice or a salve and he could protect himself should the thief king attempt to hurt him, right?"

"How would we even convince him to receive such a gift? He surely would never take it of his own desire," the second voice said with an edge of distaste and frustration. "He has made it rather clear that he wants nothing to do with anything concerning the thief king."

Yugi tilted his head fractionally, almost tempted to offer that he would do it but then realized immediately it was probably not within his best interests to do so. With the way that things were going between them the possibility to even attempt brought indignation and frustration that made his stomach twist at the very thought of seeing him. How dare he kill his people if they only meant to help to protect him?

He shook his head, flinching at the thought and realizing it was possible that perhaps Atemu had not ever said that in so many words. Perhaps they had misheard his words or twisted them slightly, possibly confused by the statement he had made? He shook off some frustration and continued listening, eyes wide as their conversation started again.

"Heba could do it. Atemu is always with him…"

"I do not think Atemu would let us leave with our heads still intact if he ever found out that we tried to use his precious Yugi to place a charm with him or bestow a prayer upon him. He would have our heads if he ever knew the thoughts were entertained between the three of us, Mana."

Yugi had expected the tone that came with the endearment towards his name to be sneered as it would have been someone such as Seth or one of the guards speaking. But instead it was softened, as if the speaker thought their relationship something more important than just a childish friendship that they had merely ceased to outgrow for the time being. He thought he recognized the voice again, but it was still not something that came to him immediately, which said something of the rare time he spent with the other royals. Most of his time was dedicated—and rightfully so—to Atemu, whether it was teaching him to read and write or some smaller points of astrology or even just having him sit with him in the gardens. He had not really gotten very integrated with the rest of the palaces goers, though he had held a conversation with each of them once or twice in his life. Atemu obviously took far more priority when it came down to it, both from his position of being his guardian and his love for the pharaoh.

"But, Master Mahado, what else are we to do?"

 _Mahado_.

Yugi was ashamed not to have recognized his voice all this time. Mahado was the high priest and held power over various levels of magic that he performed for show and in order to speak to the gods. He had taken on several different apprentices, teaching them the ways of magic and healing and how to please and speak to the gods. He had met him on several occasions, their conversations always rather short and most concerned Atemu rather than anything else.

"Yugi—"

He spun around as if he had been struck, the three in the audience room hushing immediately, having heard the voice of the very pharaoh they had just spoken of. He swallowed hard, watching as Atemu walked quickly down the hall towards him, expression slightly distressed but warm and amused regardless.

"Atemu, um…h-how has your day been?" he stuttered, blushing as the monarch got closer and then froze, suspicion immediately seizing every bit of his features. His red eyes shot towards the entrance of the chamber, narrowed and blazing with terribly vivid distrust and a touch of furious annoyance that made his gaze as dark as dried blood against the limestone. He didn't try to keep him from spotting them, though he did finally look with him to see that Mana, Isis and Mahado were speaking quietly together, watching them with guarded expressions. Mana looked more fearful suddenly as she took them both in, deep blue eyes taking on a strange green like the leaves of the palm trees on the banks of the Nile around the pupils and her wide gaze making her seem small for a moment. He only recognized her from one of the few times he had found her with Atemu when he had spent more time with her during the day when he was unable to do so him.

She was often there whenever he was short of time to spend with the other boy, friendly but always too much for Atemu who would give him a desperate look whenever she was close. She was hyper whereas Atemu was not the least bit energetic unless it came to alone time with him. The high priestess was one of Mahado's pupils, and from what he knew, his best, with a keen instinct and natural talent for the task of magic. Yugi took her in for the first time since he had turned his head towards them, remembering her eyes at one time wider, almost too large for her face for years before. The girl had a softer tan to her skin, not quite as warm a caramel as his own or Atemu's, and the beige of her clothing gave her eyes more coloring. Her outfit consisted of a top with ruffled straps that fell upon her upper arms without sleeves and a strand of woven gold that held the fabric together. A small, thin necklace of gold was wrapped around her neck, with a nearly tiny red gem in the middle that sat between the curves of her collarbones. Two inch-long bands of gold rested under the ruffled sleeves and a shield-like crest sat in the center of the dip of her top. Yugi looked over the ruffle of the skirt that looked as loose and flowing as the straps of her shirt and chewed his cheek at the ruby gemstone that rested in the center of her golden-plated belt. Two bracelets sat on her wrists, bands of gold that gave way to woven cloth colored blue and dark purple in interlocking spikes. Unlike the others, she did not have the golden bands that rested on their legs, instead given papyrus boots with anklets that matched her two bracelets. He frowned slightly, tilting his head a fraction as he took in the headband of curled metal with ruffles of the same beige cloth that fell across her sporadically arranged dark brown locks of hair. Kohl lined the bottom of her eyes in a pattern that matched the length of her upper lashes, giving her cheekbones a line of black that almost looked like a stripe from the side of Atemu's she-cat's beautiful multicolored face.

Mahado looked curious but a slight bit unnerved when his eyes met Atemu's sharpened ones and Yugi remembered at some point that the two of them had had a small, strained bond. He knew from Mana and Atemu mentioning it once that one of the times he had been with Shiamun instead, the young pharaoh had ended up nearly being bitten by a snake. From what he knew, Mahado had gotten him out of the way and had suffered through the strike himself in his place, Atemu going about sucking the venom from his leg. Yugi remembered being stupidly jealous and overly upset that he had not been there when it had happened and even more so when Atemu had acted devotedly towards the other male for an entire day and a half. He had checked on him every chance he got and for that entire day and a half Mahado's name was always the first on his lips.

He wondered now, staring at the priest, if maybe their friendship would have been far more developed and extremely strong by this point had he not been deemed Atemu's guardian. He felt a small bit of guilt at the thought but at the same time he was glad that he did not have to see Atemu more interested in Mahado than he was him. He knew watching him from afar and playing second best for the pharaoh was not something he could have handled, growing up or now that he had come to know the beautiful monarch.

Yugi had always been interested in him, long before he actually met him, intensely curious and watching him. When he had been born, Yugi was one of the first faces to see him with Shiamun at his side, but he only ever got to be in the same room beyond that when Atemu was already two. They had not truly become friends for another year after that, Yugi five and Atemu three and struggling some with the task of putting his voice to use. But even then, he had been in the background, watching and seeking out moments where he could speak to him and occasionally tease. He had always been surprised when Atemu didn't turn his teeth on him like he had several others who had been too close to him at times, biting them and drawing blood several times. Yugi was sure that if he hadn't been the pharaoh's son, they possibly might have just done away with him altogether at some point.

The thought made him cast a small glance at the boy next to him, taking in those hardened gleaming red eyes that spoke of nothing but suspicion and frustration. Yugi had realized one of the days that he had been going to see Atemu that the young monarch had never been given enough attention, possibly one of the reasons he had not cared to speak around others. Some of the women among the harem had still been upset with Atemu's father having settled for a more monogamous relationship with his mother and that had been showed to the other boy often at times. Most of them resented and ignored him but often had to keep up appearances when his parents were around to witness their treatment towards him. He knew that Atemu had not liked being with all of them, that so many other children and the constant watchful eyes had always frustrated him and left him uncomfortable.

Mana had been with him in the harem, always around but never quite close enough to bother knowing him. Atemu had only taken a liking to Yugi—practically, _ever_ —and was especially nasty and likely to bite and draw blood when his more annoying harem siblings were around him. The red-eyed monarch had not been particularly warm towards her happy nature, though he had sought solace in it several times when he was in a strange mood. If he felt sick or a little happy, he could occasionally be found with her, but he was not especially drawn to her in any way, something that he made rather obvious at times. Yugi was proud to say that he was the only one that Atemu was willing to spend time with, no matter the amount or the task.

He thought it might have been his personality that made the pharaoh feel drawn to him. Or perhaps that maybe Atemu had just liked him, with some kind of strange instant attraction existing between them. He always felt better with the second idea, amused with it and selfishly happy with the concept.

Yugi turned back at the movement in the corner of his eye. Mahado dipped his head, the gold of his white veil's helmet-like crest gleaming in the scattered sunlight from the windows. Yugi had always thought the very crest of the design like a dragon with long arched and horned wings with a small scarab-like shape in the center. The veil fell away to give light to the large golden chest-plate with large sharp, upward spikes of metal, a single charm resting at each end where it fell inwards to his chest. The Millennium Ring hung by a dark black cord around his throat, lying beneath the bulk of gold, the eye gleaming and making his gaze narrow slightly. Yugi had never once been very inclined towards the Items, slightly frustrated with the very existence of it all. Armbands rested on his biceps, and a larger series of bracelets ran upwards towards his elbows as it did the others of the nobles'. A belt of blue and gold with a center plate almost like a small shield rested around his waist, showing more of those small charms encircling his hips. The strained smile was more pronounced in the way that he unconsciously seemed to fidget with the length of his long white cape, and Yugi nearly laughed out loud, unnerved by the situation. He'd never seen Mahado nervous before, no matter the small amount of time he had been around the other male.

Isis did not appear as nervous as the other two, but her eyes spoke volumes in tension. Her frame looked smaller than its usual slim build beneath the white dress she wore. The headdress she wore held a long cape to match her dress, with a falcon's head in the center and wings spread beneath, a small gemstone of emerald resting beneath the crest of the animal. Three layers of gold fell downwards in arches, long like feathers that gave off more light to the sharpened beak of the falcon that rested on her head, giving attention to the gleaming red of ruby eyes akin Atemu's. The Millennium Necklace, held around her throat by a thin brown rope and resting on top of both collarbones, gleamed as if at attention. He let his eyes flicker towards the gold that marked the lip of the fabric, taking in the large plate of blue in the center. Her clothes were rather bland in comparison to even his own, with a mere gold belt around her waist to show off her curves and simple rings just above the knuckles of both pinkies. Her bracelets did not match, her right blue and gold and the left a solid gold with a feathered design like those of her headdress.

Everything about her in that moment, safe for her dark eyes, gave only the illusion of relaxation with no hint of tension to be found. Yugi found it odd to see how easily she could portray what she wanted, something that he had only ever truly seen in that of Atemu when he was in front of others trying not to show a hint of weakness or emotion. He had not truly done so well with retaining the attitude of the former pharaohs, cold and unattached from others, without remorse or having to give or receive forgiveness, and it was constantly poked at by others. Yugi had always wondered if he had somehow gotten it from him growing up, if maybe he had come to appreciate that trait enough to mimic it, though it was mostly ever towards him. He supposed it was why Seth was not being punished for constantly picking at him or challenging him so often, as another pharaoh possibly would have had him executed for such actions against him.

Atemu stared blankly for a split second before nodding curtly at the three of them, spinning on him with dark eyes and a small shake of his head. "You and I need to talk," he hissed, the words nearly coming out with a growl of an undertone as he grabbed Yugi's wrist and led him along the walls towards the hall that connected the audience chamber to the altar. Yugi had the momentary impulse to flee as soon as his hand was released, the grip a bruising force that made his heart pound for a split second in confusion and frustration. His fingers tightened further for a moment, squeezing his skin until it stung somewhat, and then released him abruptly, flustered as they locked eyes.

"So you really _have_ been listening in on things that share no bearing with you," the pharaoh growled, giving him a sharp look immediately to hide away the apprehension and hurt that were quickly seeping in, passing through his eyes for a single split second before all Yugi could find was chunks of dark red ice. Yugi's face grew hot with embarrassment at the reprimand that acted as the other's undertone, swallowing hard when the younger boy sighed and shook his head. "And here I thought I would apologize but instead I find that I was correct in my assumptions and you cannot seem to stay out of things that concern me and not you."

The older boy blinked and bit his lip, unsure of what to say in response and feeling slightly shaken with the frustration on the other's face, unnerved by the darkness of his gaze. He knew well enough that he could hold his own if Atemu was to lash out at him again, but the thought made his skin crawl uncertainly. The thought of having it out a second time was not something that appealed to him in the least, especially now that he was face to face with the monarch and he could take in the weariness that weighed his limbs and made his eyes dark.

"Most of what concerns you concerns me as well," Yugi said slowly, pressing as much urgency and affection as he could into the statement to attempt to appease some of his anger. The effort got him all of a disgruntled expression that said Atemu was not taking the words seriously, that the fact that he had found him listening in on conversations was not something he would put away just because Yugi might say he loved him. The older boy felt cheap even in thinking of saying it in that moment, however, and so fell silent though he did have the urge to do so if only to make sure Atemu knew he was not upset about the day before. "I am sorry, Atemu. I was just…I was walking past the audience chamber and I heard them talking and they said my name so I wanted to know what they were saying."

The pharaoh gave him a distinctly disbelieving look but remained silent for several heartbeats that left Yugi with the desire to tremble with discomfort and unhappiness for a split second. Finally his head tipped to the side, a curious light flickering in his deep eyes as he look him over for a long minute, scrutinizing every single thing about him and searching for the lie. "Did they say anything worthy of your attention or no?"

"N-not really?" he muttered, surprising himself and Atemu with his stutter, something that he had not done when speaking with him since even before they had become lovers. The only time either of them could recall him stuttering aside from this moment and his greeting minutes before was when Atemu had thrown a tantrum that had left Yugi's head spinning in shock. Now the pharaoh tipped his head just a tiny fraction further, eyes growing slightly unfocused and yet so dark that there was no mistaking the fact that he was watching him like a hungry cobra preparing to strike. Yugi pictured those red eyes slit and gleaming with predatory power, body spiraled and tensed, all muscles prepared to lunge forward and swallow him whole.

And then he thought, unbidden, of the jackal. He pictured those dark black eyes of pure hatred and laughter, mocking him even in its defenseless status, tied to the back of that camel. He pictured it with its jaws open, eyes golden and dark rather than dilated and black in the knowledge of coming death. And, for a moment, as he let it become the focus of his attention, its eyes changed to stunning red like blood dripping onto stone, and its hatred grew tenfold. The tawny and gray coat turned a stunning cinnamon brown and black, with soft patches of gold upon its forehead, its muzzle wrinkled so forcefully with the brutal snarl that its eyes crinkled in the corner and every fur on its body rose in a bristle.

"Then _why_ would you keep listening? I know you had not just gotten there when I started past the hallway. I watched you for a little while, Yugi. And not once did you do more than listen as if the conversation concerned you." He paused, thoughtful before smiling wickedly, mouth curving back like a hyena about to cackle, the expression making Yugi feel sick and threatened, a small bit of controlled panic starting to rise through his system for a split second. He had never truly seen that look on his face before, and those dark red eyes seemed to be peering through him and gleaming with a sight of bloodshed and death. "Was it perhaps about _me_ , Yugi? Were they speaking of _me_?"

He realized only after the way he lilted his words to take on a vicious tone that Atemu was sneering at him, practically spitting the words in demand of whether or not they had spread some of the rumors concerning his alleged whores. Guilt and pain laced through him momentarily, but he pushed it away in order to think clearly about some kind of excuse to appease the other's growing anger. "No, it was about me. They just, they mentioned my name and I wanted to know what they had to say about me—"

"Oh, Yugi, do not insult my intelligence. Do not mistake me for a fool. Do you honestly wish to pretend that I do not know when you twist the truth around?" the pharaoh snapped angrily, rolling his eyes up towards the ceiling and taking a moment to draw some calm from the familiar sight of conformed sand. "If you want to lie, would you please not be so _obvious_ about it? It's painful just enduring such a pathetic attempt."

Yugi wanted to laugh at the statement but felt a small trickle of doubt and frustration in his stomach. Of course Atemu knew when he lied; how would he not? The boy had never been stupid, smarter than any other child in the harem by far, and he had always paid rapt attention to his blue-violet-eyed guardian. There was no chance that he would get something past him when it came down to it. So he stayed quiet now, not wishing to push the other boy or confirm anything that Atemu accused while trying to think of some way to turn the conversation away.

His mind stumbled over possibilities, struggling for something to be found there, wondering and thinking over anything that might come in handy. But he was sure that Atemu was not in the mood to be deterred and the task would be made that much harder if the stubborn boy did not give him consent to change the subject of conversation.

Red eyes glinted for a moment, his head snapping up slowly, and then his gaze narrowed into slits and his expression twisted into a pained grimace. Yugi blinked wide eyes but it was long gone before his lids even parted once more, the pharaoh instead pursing his lips and looking him over.

He wondered vaguely if perhaps, like in the torchlight in his bedchambers, he had seen his expression in a way that it had not been. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him or the light was wrong, his weariness creeping upon him or his frustration at their disconnection making him see things that were not there and never would be.

"My pharaoh—"

" _Ra_ , Seth, have you no sense of _timing_?" Atemu snarled, spinning on his cousin with a vicious glare that made Yugi feel as if his skin were threatening to crawl off his body. "Do you not have enough sense to see that I am speaking to _Heba_ right now?"

"Funny, I thought his name was Yugi," Seth spat, giving Yugi a cold look that the future vizier found himself growing alarmed over, eyes widening in shock for a moment. The brunet had just spoken against Atemu and Atemu had just used his given name, a sign that both of them had best watch their words and hold their tongues if they wished to get out of the discussion unscathed. For a moment those glittering blue eyes remained on his face and then finally they shifted to his cousin's, the priest freezing in place.

The vizier-in-training looked at his lover now, shivering at the raw hatred and power that burned in those red eyes like a vicious fire. The high priest started to lower himself into a bow, entire body taut and the muscles along his shoulders twitching with tremors that he was struggling to suppress. Yugi momentarily thought this must have been what happened with predators that clashed in the wild, a staring contest that would have surely come to blows otherwise. But Seth had immediately seemed to notice that he was no match for the other boy in this state of anger and so instead of a rival, he had become a scared wanderer before a lion that wanted to tear him to pieces. It was as if he were watching a wounded cheetah crossing paths with its massive family member, momentarily ready to fight but remembering its more dainty size in comparison and instantly trying to make itself smaller.

He blinked slowly, turning his head towards Atemu more fully to take in the way that he was merely watching his cousin, not a bit of amusement or anger in his eyes any longer. He looked almost tired but still terribly powerful, as if he might spring forward and knock his cousin about if he only gave him a reason to do so. Yugi felt a chill travel down his spine, making him tense and straighten his back unconsciously as he took in the light in the youngest boy's eyes. The way he seemed to be considering him made it impossible to tell if he considered Seth a threat or a companion or possibly something else entirely. But there was a distinct bit of question and power that seemed at war in those dark gems for a moment, twisting and bathing his irises a deeper red until they looked like bottomless pools of freshly shed blood.

"Get up," Atemu spat finally, scoffing softly and wrinkling his nose with a sideways glance at his staring elder. For a moment he looked as if he wanted to continue his growing reprimand but instead settled for snorting softly like a furious animal denied its potential victim. "Leave me to discussion with my cousin."

"Why? Am I not allowed to hear what he has to say?" Yugi asked, voice bordering a childish snap as he gave him an incredulous look. Why did it seem like he was trying his hardest to hide everything from him and was not even trying to pretend he was not? "I think I have every right to know about this thief king and why you refuse to do anything concerning him."

"And I should think that I have every right to box you upside the ears for speaking back to your pharaoh," Atemu snarled angrily, fluffing up like a furious cat and glaring at him.

"And I think that you should just listen to what your cousin and Isis and Shiamun and Mahado and Mana have to say. What about you, Atemu? You think you should listen to them?"

"No, I do not," he snapped, stepping closer so that their faces were inches apart as he lowered his voice into a soft snarl. "What I think is that you should leave when I bid you. And then I believe that perhaps you should be happy that you turn away from every single impulse to listen to conversations that have nothing to do with you. And furthermore, you should be _so_ terribly grateful that I do not punish you for your insolence."

"Oh, but then you would have punish yourself for your own arrogance."

Seth snorted softly, watching them but making sure to dodge away from any glance that they shot him in their irritable states. Thankfully his cousin was so absorbed in trying to force Yugi to step down that he did not even take notice of the noise and Yugi was too wise to turn away from the red-eyed boy when he was in his face like this. If he turned away, Atemu was liable to either take it as a victory or to start tearing into him harder, something that Seth had to admit he regretted having taught him when he lost his temper with him growing up.

"And your negligence, you spoiled little brat. How dare you even think to threaten others' lives for wanting to help you!"

"Oh, but how dare you for not realizing your place in a conversation and what requires _your_ concern as it is not your right to know things that do not involve you in the least," Atemu purred quietly, stepping forward to push Yugi back a step. "And how dare you lie to your king? Oh, but how about the accusations you have unjustly slung at me? I think that would most likely get you _well_ beneath the ground, am I correct?"

"Oh, is little Atemu _scared_ because I might speak the truth of just how much of a _coward_ he is?"

"Is Heba afraid that I might just make good on my threats?"

"No, because you're too weak to give will to those threats."

"And you are by far too stupid to understand what is going on around you. You take conversation you were never meant to hear and twist it to your desire, don't you, Yugi? Is that not what you are best at? Painting little stories for all to hear so that you may have their attention? I believe that _might_ have been how you came about becoming my guardian. I would suspect that you painted my father such a brilliant little picture that he could not think of another to take care of me. _Seth_ would have done a better job of keeping his ears shut to such things that do not require his attention."

"He also did a good job of putting _you in your place_ growing up, wouldn't you agree, dear little Atemu? Or is that not so because you always had _me_ to protect you?"

"Do _not_ make yourself to be a hero that you are not, Heba. You never knew your place then and you certainly do not now."

"My place was at your side, as your father wanted. My place is _still_ at your side because you're too small to stand on your own unless you are threatening to have someone _executed_ without reason!" he spat angrily, reaching out to shove him away but getting his hands caught by the pharaoh who pushed him back instead. "Get your hands off of me."

"If you are so terribly great and strong, Yugi, then free them yourself."

Seth snorted again, biting off laughter, and quickly lowered his head when both of their heads suddenly snapped to attention, drawing him into their line of fire.

"What was it that you even _wanted_?" Atemu snarled at him viciously, Yugi narrowing his eyes in annoyance. "As you can see, I am having a fight with my whore."

Yugi laughed darkly, throwing his head back in exaggeration before giving him a look of pure daggers. "Oh, so I am the whore. Right. How about you tell your dear cousin about the _very many_ times that you've laid on your back for me?"

"No, no, that is unnecessary," the brunet barked out before he could stop himself, shuddering and shaking his head with a glance towards his cousin. Atemu gave him a hard glare but released Yugi with a shove that made him stumble back a step but not lose his footing, his blue-flecked violet eyes sharp as he shot the monarch a furious look. "But he is right. I did mean to speak to you about the thief—"

"And I remember telling you—"

"Do not yell at him because you are so terribly unfit to be the pharaoh!" Yugi spat angrily, cutting off the vicious comment that was coming from the furious monarch. Atemu's head snapped towards him, eyes narrowed into slits as they stared at each other. The older boy immediately regretted his poor choice of words, especially with Seth right there watching with those eyes that reminded him so greatly of a Nile crocodile.

"Well, as long as we are speaking our minds," the pharaoh stated softly, shoving him violently so that he fell back and was forced to look up at him with wide, startled eyes. "I think you need to step down from your overused position as my guardian. I no longer need you the way I did when I was younger and you should mind staying within the line that others do, as I have no _need_ for your constant desire to be around me and tell me what I should do. Unfit to be the pharaoh of Kemet or not, I do not think that you have any right to judge seeing as you are not even a vizier yet. Until you become Vizier Heba Muran, I have no need of your constant oversights and snipes and desire to call me a childish brat. Now get out of my sight."

Yugi leaped to his feet, straightening his back to glare at him eye-to-eye, both of them seething. "You're _dismissing_ me?"

"Get. Out. Of. My. Sight."

"You heard your pharaoh," Seth chimed in, voice authoritative and lacking any bit of kindness that might have come from another witnessing their situation. His eyes were dancing with mocking laughter now, staring at Yugi who ignored him pointedly to stare at the pharaoh with a furious look. "Get out of his sight."

"I do not need _you_ to tell my lover to get out of my sight," Atemu snarled, spinning on him and bristling like a fluffed up cat once more. But Yugi could see the jackal rising as well, his temper closing in on its breaking point at the brunet's interference. "I did not ask for your input. For all I care, you may get out of my sight as well. I have nothing to speak of with you."

Yugi rolled his eyes, for a moment feeling warm that he had called him his lover but immediately growing disdainful at the fact that Atemu had just refused his cousin once more. "You really are a coward, aren't you? What happened within the lunar cycle I've been gone?" he commented, voice scornful but bordering a curious edge as well; Atemu's head snapped around to take him in now, blinking wide eyes and seeming to dispel some of his ferocity for a moment. "Because I remember you being a little pusillanimous but I do not remember you ever being so cowardly."

"Nothing happened in the time you were gone. It has been happening for summers now!" the pharaoh spat viciously in a low voice, for a moment looking startled by his own venomous words before swinging his attention around to give his cousin a harsh glare and then Yugi a considerate one. "However, it does not concern you and I am too tired to fight with you any longer. Leave me to speak to Seth."

He gave him a confused look, glancing at Seth now as well and finding the brunet just as startled as he. Atemu rolled his eyes and started walking in the opposite direction, obviously taking his inaction for refusal and so going about excluding him more pointedly. Seth immediately went after him, ignoring Yugi as he would have otherwise, and getting to his pharaoh's side without much difficulty. He listened closely but he could hear nothing but a mere mumble from Atemu that he had better speak and keep it interesting or he would have nothing more to do with the conversation.

* * *

Yugi looked up from the pool of water to find the young monarch starting towards him, eyes flickering to his and then the ground and back rapidly in jerky, unsure gestures of submission. He stopped a few feet away, waiting for him to either invite him over or tell him to leave, but they both knew that the only time he had sent the pharaoh off he had wound up racing after him to apologize immediately after. It was nearly impossible for him to stay mad at the younger boy, no matter how disgusting his personality became at times or how vicious the fights they both put up against each other. Atemu was sweet when he wasn't upset and Yugi knew him well enough to not even truly care about his temper or how childishly he reacted to things. Whether he turned a vicious tongue on him or even lashed out in the form of a shove, he was always immediately remorseful and sweetly shy when he came back to seek him out and apologize.

"You're just lucky you're so sweet or I swear by Ra I would _never_ speak to you again, duties be _damned_ ," he scoffed, a playful note entering his voice and giving Atemu just enough momentum to grow bright-eyed and excited as he hurried to close the small distance between them. Yugi watched his reflection join his on top of the water, Atemu's blue cape the most noticeable in the way that it seemed to be ruffled and awkwardly pulled out of shape to slump forward across the gold plates on his shenti. He thought it looked as if Atemu might have been picking at it, out of boredom or nervousness he couldn't tell, or as if Seth might have pulled him off his feet using it in some kind of effort to make him seem smaller.

"Royalty has nothing to do with that?" he asked, voice slightly curious as he glanced at him from the corner of his eye and then narrowed his gaze. The older boy bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud as he realized what the other was about to say. "By _Ra_ , Yugi, straighten your back! You are a noble, not some common peasant. Look the part!"

Yugi snorted a laugh but straightened his back regardless when Atemu started to look increasingly upset, eyes widening at his dismissal before narrowing as his lips pursed and his jaw started to clench in frustration. The older boy guessed that must have been why he loved ignoring his royal decrees as far as his posture went, because that face made it worth it to him. And, if he waited long enough, Atemu would attempt to actually straighten it and he had to admit it was fun when he struggled with the task due to his resistance.

"Royalty has nothing to do with it, _pharaoh_ ," he snickered, smirking when the younger boy gave him a startled look, confused by the change in tone when he sneered the title before relaxing once more.

"Well, that is always reassuring."

"I would think it is."

They stayed quiet for a moment, Atemu moving to step back once and stare at him, waiting for the second when Yugi would circle back to the conversation they had been having before. His eyes scanned his face, taking in the soft skin on his cheekbones and the light red tinge that was starting to come over the caramel tone that he boasted. He could already see where he was starting to get burned again, a bit of dried skin taking on an appearance almost like a picked scab as he took a moment to look it over.

At first Yugi ignored him, instead looking at the still waters in the pool in front of them, eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to focus his energy into studying his own reflection there. He was hyperaware of Atemu's beside him as well, the waters still enough that they both appeared in perfect clarity with only the lily pads and lotus flowers to disrupt it. If it wasn't enough to feel Atemu staring at him, his eyes threatening to burn a hole in his skin, it was just as flustering to see his reflection doing the same.

He fought off the urge to roll his eyes, instead taking a moment to admire the strong jaw line that Atemu's face possessed, the left side of his mouth curling upwards in a soft smile. As always, the first thought that came to mind upon seeing his face was the desire to kiss little trails up and down his jaw and eventually his pulse point. He had always enjoyed the way that his heart would pick up, pounding violently as he brushed his lips over his skin, the sensation of hot blood boiling beneath the soft layer of flesh enough to make him shiver in delight. He trailed his eyes up to take in the spidery black lashes of the other's darkened eyes, the sun casting soft shadows in the irises though they looked sharp where he had narrowed them slightly in preparation. He admired the higher cheekbones, the way that his long lashes could touch the very top of them when he blinked, something that he had told him when he was younger was extremely ticklish but felt like being kissed by the wind.

Yugi took in the heavy earrings that dangled and caught a small flicker of sunlight, casting a new glare on the water, and finally gave in to the urge to jump back into the argument as he always did. They may have settled and gotten past it, but he had to get the final word or at least make his opinion as clear as possible. Otherwise Atemu had a tendency to ignore it all in favor of pretending that it was not there and had not happened in the first place. It was a secret he had learned when Atemu was six and he had been struggling with the task of getting him to stop putting sand in his mouth because Atemu was—for whatever reason—determined to eat dirt. He had looked away for all of a second after he initially told him to stop and then he turned back to find the younger boy with a ton of it in his fist and his fist in his mouth. The fact was that if Atemu was not given a true reason not to do something like eat sand or act as he was now, he would not pay attention and ignore anyone telling him to do otherwise. He seemed to realize that most people did not have the patience to explain why he should not do things and because of this he took the liberty to test why he would be told not to. He had known well enough why he shouldn't have eaten sand, because it had nothing good for him. And he certainly knew why he should not have been acting so immaturely with his title, but he was going to push as much as he could because he did not know or respect boundaries as others did.

And Yugi had learned early that should an argument remain unsettled, Atemu was very liable to go back to what he was doing, ignoring every little bit of what had been said before. He may have listened and understood the concept of the argument, but until there was a very patient explanation given to him, then he did not care and would disregard it. It was why—along with the fact that no one truly paid attention to him and Atemu _needed_ attention paid to him—teachers had failed in teaching and why if someone looked away from him for even a moment they would most likely lose him altogether. He would push and push and then end up flustered and terribly embarrassed when Yugi was the one to scold him. He would settle immediately after, however, but he would fight before he got enough of a reason to believe why he should not do whatever it was how he desired.

"Your attitude hardly suits that of a king," Yugi snapped, glaring as the other merely blinked and the light hit his iris sharply. A million dark shards of red glimmered and turned bright crimson when he tipped his head up so that the beam of light hit both eyes and sent Yugi's heart beating faster with admiration and desire. He had always been easily knocked off his feet when it came to the younger boy's eyes, something he was not afraid to admit if the other only bothered to ask, though he thought maybe Atemu just knew.

He blinked slowly and tipped his head to the side, taking him in for a moment, and Yugi wanted to drown himself in the pools of deep russet that stared back at him. With the new bit of direct sunlight his irises seemed to glow, his pupils contracted to half their size, the inner circle of red dark with distorted black from the sudden addition of brightness.

"No?" Atemu asked, voice bordering on casual and curious but carrying a frustrated edge that made his skin crawl with anticipation. Yugi shook his head silently, waiting, watching him with those familiar blue-flecked violet eyes that looked like discolored amethyst jewels if they were only hit by the sun and stunning lapis-lazuli in firelight. The younger boy curled his lips back into a smirk, amused by the thought, and then leaned forward, dropping his voice. "I must be acting childish again, hmm?"

If he was not staring at him with vast amusement and open desire, Yugi would have felt a flicker of guilt for having snapped at him like he had. But now he was consumed with the idea of their bodies moving in sync, united in a way that made their minds work as one for as long as either of them could handle, parts of them spilling into the other and leaving them feeling both wounded and healed at once.

"You're the most childish bastard I have ever met," he sniped, smiling despite himself and chuckling when Atemu stepped closer, looking at him with a feigned disbelieving expression.

"Am I?"

" _Always_."

He was a bit surprised by how warm and soft the word came out of his mouth, the little whisper enough to make Atemu lunge for him. Yugi laughed when they landed against the soft grass and his hands went to slip along his collarbone, tracing small patterns that made Atemu squirm, skin hotter than the sun had ever managed to make it. He ran a finger over the plate of gold around his neck, the wing of Ra sitting on his left shoulder and gleaming in the sunlight, the band of metal tightly wrapped around the curve of his slim shoulder. Yugi nearly trembled with appreciation at the other gave in kissing his jaw, almost massaging with his mouth to ease some of the tensed muscles there. His teeth tugged lightly on his skin once, making him fold his leg to brush his knee against the younger boy's hip.

"You're right, I'm so terribly childish," the pharaoh commented softly in his ear, making him snicker before rolling his eyes and giving him a fond look. Atemu returned the look with affection that seemed almost too plentiful to have been felt by him alone at only fifteen summers. If Yugi had not known him for most of his life, he would have assumed that he was seeing things and that Atemu could not possibly feel that much with his age taken into consideration alongside his attitude. But he had always been smarter than he acted, a silent observer who sometimes threw fits when he was not given the amount of attention that others were and always quick to lash out verbally when he was upset. And he did experience things more fully than others did, a bit more emotional than most and especially more than monarchs that he knew of, but he was always sure to hold his head high and work with it rather than suppress. He could give Atemu everything and know that it would be returned at moments like this, no matter how hard the battle between them or the resentment that sprung up during it all. He never asked for anything when it came down to it, just enough attention to make him feel loved and then he was great about not being too bothered with much else.

There was never a question whether he loved and cared about him. It had always been clear in his eyes and the passion in their fights, whereas he would merely glare and viciously turn on someone else who brought an argument to him. When he was monotonous, his tone hollow and bare with disgust and disapproval, it was clear that the person who was against him on whatever matter was not going to win. Soft-voiced and hollow-spoken words said exactly what he needed, that he was not about to turn on his own opinion in favor of another.

When they truly fought, he gave it all he had, opposing him with strength to rival the god he was named for. He truly was Ra personified when they fought, lashing out before Yugi could truly gain footing but always listening when they insulted each other because more often than not something in the statement meant more than was said. One of their fights, Atemu had actually grown extremely upset and refused to talk to him for three days because he had said he was bad at kissing. He wasn't, and Yugi had pointed that out immediately, but it was always hilarious when he took something stupid like that to heart and he got the feeling that Atemu liked watching him squirm and try to figure out what he had done or said wrong. By the time Atemu had finally told him, Yugi had all but forgotten every bit of the argument and was amazed that he had even remembered it.

" _Terribly_ childish," he agreed, nodding and laughing when Atemu brushed their noses together and then pressed a soft kiss to his forehead, lips lingering for a moment. Yugi let him kiss a path down his cheek to his mouth, moving his hands to splay them across his shoulders, part of him demanding to flip them over and ravage him instead. Three days he had been back and he had not come to him for this? Yugi felt incredibly stupid and much more than a bit immature at the thought. Whether or not Atemu was acting out some or growing somewhat distressed lately, he knew he would have normally come straight to him for this.

Yugi looked at him closely when he pulled away and gave him a soft smile, heart skipping when he realized exactly what he had been wondering for so long. Those soft red eyes, liquid rubies and blazing fire, held nothing for anyone else, solely his. He bit back a cringe at the thought of his accusations but shook it off to kiss him again, knowing that it was worth far more to the monarch than any apology he could give him verbally. Atemu hated it when he apologized, always surprised at first but growing distinctly annoyed without even seeming to realize it himself.

"Because I fail to listen or I'm too horribly frustrating?" Atemu asked after he had pulled his lips away, the older boy scowling momentarily at the reminder of their conversation. He was not entirely certain that he needed to force Atemu into recognizing his behavior, because, when it came down to it, he thought he might already know. He could have already known and just had not figured out a way to turn back and face whatever it was that was making him so upset like this.

When he was younger, Atemu had always faced it, fled when he was unable to win, strategized, and then come back to conquer it when he was entirely sure that he had enough power behind him to do it. He had perfected this method against Seth when they were younger, eventually knocking him flat during a summoning when the brunet finally upset him enough to lash out with a finality that even he refused to question. Obelisk had been effortlessly undone by Osiris, Atemu merely watching as Seth finally gave up when he realized he was not going to break through and be able to pick on his younger cousin any longer.

"Both," Yugi snorted, rolling his eyes and smiling widely when the younger boy sat back on his haunches for a moment, tilting his head and allowing the sunlight to cast a bright red halo from the fiery star of deep midnight black and crimson-tipped hair. "Always both, you childish bastard."

Atemu chuckled warmly, shaking his head for a moment before brushing their noses together once more. Yugi moved a hand to run his fingers through his hair, lightly trailing his fingertips over his scalp and gaining a shiver and purr of approval.

"So are you going to roll over so I can—?"

"Sorry to say, but as pharaoh, I claim the right," the younger boy snorted, laughing when Yugi let out a loud scoff and raised a brow in doubtful disapproval at the statement. The older boy pulled his fingers away from his scalp, trailing his index down the back of his neck and making Atemu shudder, a long, low purr slipping from where it was building in his chest, growing louder at the soft touches. Their noses brushed again before the monarch pressed his into his temple, nuzzling him gently as Yugi went to press their lips together once more. His eyes widened, head turning in confusion when Atemu froze in place and the sound of footsteps made them both stop short.

Atemu leaped off of him in a heartbeat, nearly pulling his arms out of their sockets with the speed and power put into the agile movement. Yugi huffed, not the least bit amused with the realization that that could have been Atemu's first thrust and hating whoever it was that had decided to come into the gardens. He watched him lazily as he started to dust himself off as if he had somehow accumulated dirt on his clothing, and raised a brow when the monarch gave him a disapproving glance.

" _Stand up_ ," Atemu hissed, sounding disturbingly flustered and distressed. Yugi followed suit after a long moment when he was given a frantic look in replacement of the former disapproval, quickly dusting himself off in annoyance as they both spotted the newcomer.

"Oh… _you_ ," the older boy scoffed softly, scowling when his younger lover shot him a quick glance to silence him and then turned back to his cousin. Yugi gave him an annoyed look in response, knowing he felt it by the way his shoulders rose slightly in a defensive movement. Curiosity peaked, the vizier-in-training glanced towards Seth, wondering what he had done exactly to draw the disgruntled expression from the youngest boy. Their pharaoh looked suspiciously like he would have had he been caught with sand in his mouth again, guilty and growing amused but irritated with the lack of explanation as well.

"Well, I should hope I gave you _adequate_ time to put your whore to good use," Seth spat angrily, "considering that you had me chasing you around the palace!"

Yugi turned on him quickly, eyes wide and blazing with fury as the words settled in his head. Atemu had dodged away from speaking or even listening to what Seth had to say to him, instead seeking him out. "What?" he hissed, narrowing his eyes.

"It is not _my_ fault that you took your eyes off of me," Atemu stated calmly, though he gave Yugi a small grimace that said he was not going to apologize to his cousin but he was sorry that he had not listened to him as he had wanted him to. "But you should have known I was going to leave the first chance that I received. I always do. You know that."

"I thought that perhaps for once you would quit your blasphemous ways and listen and do something _worthy_ of _being_ the pharaoh, but of course you have disappointed _once again_!"

"Bold words coming from a mere high priest," Yugi snarled, cutting him off immediately and giving him a furious look that made Atemu's eyes widen in shock. "You are not about to punish _him_ because _you_ could not keep your eyes on him as you _knew_ to do. He always runs off if you fail to _watch_ him. Not that you would know since you aren't able to push him around anymore as you could when you were children. You have been hiding around like a wounded hyena, licking your cuts and trailing others with your head down. If you ever paid attention to him as more than being some kind of piece of prey when you were younger, you might know better than to think that he would not stray if you wandered ahead of him."

Seth's face turned red with annoyance and stark embarrassment, Atemu's eyes widening and a smirk forming on his lips as he glanced at his cousin and kept Yugi in the corner of his gaze. The priest straightened, trying to push some of his embarrassment away with the mere inch that he gained, voice sharp and angry as he snapped, "I seem to recall him telling you to stay out of his—"

"And I also seem to recall that I am the reason he even _began_ to speak to you in the first place. Remember your place, Seth, because I know I do. You are not the pharaoh and you will not tell me what to do nor where I stand. I am the future vizier and whereas Atemu's father might have wanted you as his right hand formerly, I was given that task the first time you forced him into coming to blows with you. Now, as far as _my_ argument with Atemu goes, that is none of your concern and I would think that you might like to remove your nose from it before I am forced to cut it from your face, do you understand me?"

Atemu's mouth fell open some, eyes bright with a child's wonder and his elegant brows shooting to hide beneath his hairline, laughter starting to form in his lungs as he took a look between them. Seth was startled and rightfully embarrassed while Yugi just looked angry and proud, refusing to be pushed down by the high priest as he had so often done to the monarch beside him. He bit his lip to keep from laughing out loud, instead smirking slightly and glancing at his lover with a sideways look that made the older boy raise his head a fraction.

"Besides, if I remember this correctly, Atemu also gave you fair warning to make it quick and keep it interesting or you would lose all appeal as far as he was concerned," Yugi continued, raising his chin a small bit further and glaring at him viciously, ignoring his younger lover's dark eyes burning with awed laughter beside him. "Does that sound familiar or was I hearing things, Seth? And remember that I am not a stupid boy, so I will know if you are lying to me."

Seth flushed, face growing to the shade of his cousin's eyes as his gaze snapped to the youngest boy's and narrowed angrily. "You allow your whore to fight all of your battles _still_ , Atemu?"

"Actually, normally it is my _lover_ who does that, and if you have any common sense left, dear cousin, you will not call him a whore again," Atemu hissed, glancing at Yugi to find that he was scowling at him but seemed to approve of the statement altogether. The pharaoh bit off a mass amount of laughter at the thought that the comment might quell some of his frustration, knowing immediately that he would have to be a fool to ever truly consider such a thing. Yugi was not one to be flattered into submission when it came to fights, especially when it was one between the two of them. He did not just suddenly lose his opinion because he said something about him that he thought was sweet or undeniably cute, as Yugi put it so often. He was never one to be flattered so simply. "And I _did_ warn you, as he pointed out moments ago."

"He might be right but you are a childish pest with no right to the crown you wear," Seth snarled, shoulders rising like a lion tensing to pounce. "Your father would be ashamed of your insolence—"

"Do not even entertain the _thought_ of bringing his father into this," Yugi spat, squaring off with him while Atemu stiffened and shook off the familiar stark disappointment that settled on his insides at the statement. "He would be proud of him regardless of what you might think."

"No one could possibly even desire to be proud of a coward who hides behind his _lover_ and refuses to face a threat that could potentially destroy all of his kingdom!" the brunet roared, stepping closer to Atemu who merely tilted his chin up and gave him a bored look. Yugi blinked, glancing at him sideways and realizing slowly that the he recognized that look distinctly from the day that he had won against him in the duel with Obelisk and Osiris. That hollow voice that he had used had been enough to make even Obelisk cower when the battle had first begun and he had used it multiple times since then, though it was reserved when he was truly upset. "You worthless brat, you wish to bring us all down with you!"

"You will get out of his face," Yugi snapped, shoving him back a few steps and glaring angrily. "Mind your place, Seth. You may be his cousin but you are not immune to _me_. I have more power than you, remember?"

"I would suspect that you just _love_ to come to his defense, but I doubt you will be enough to save him from the thief king," the brunet sneered viciously, spinning on him now and making him falter with confusion. This was the second time that someone had insinuated that this thief king was going to be the end of the young pharaoh. First Isis and now Seth was speaking as if this whole thing was going to be more than just something the namesake of the thief king suggested. He shot Atemu a curious look, hidden mostly by anger and disgust towards the other boy, and was surprised when he found the pharaoh staring at him with a blank expression.

"Seth, get Yugi out of here and then I will speak to you."

" _What_?" Yugi snapped, voice startled and confused. "You're _dismissing_ me? But I—"

"This is my own fight with Seth," Atemu stated, giving him a slightly cold look that made Yugi want to flinch but also gave him desire to lash out again. His jaw clenched for a moment, eyes narrowed into slits as he gave him a harsh glance. "For the time being, it is me alone who has to speak to him about this. Go to your chambers and I will meet you there."

"No," the oldest spat. "I am not about to be dismissed yet again because you want to keep secrets. _Speak_ , Atemu!"

"Not with you as my audience. I have words to say to Seth alone that do not require your ears."

"Well, that is just too bad because I am _not_ moving."

The pharaoh turned his head and leveled him with a vicious look that would have sent someone else running but Yugi had seen it enough times to merely raise his head and straighten his spine, glaring back.

* * *

 **I don't actually have that much to say for this chapter. Aside from, I guess, the fact that I think if someone actually DID call the pharaoh's lover a whore, they'd probably be executed immediately. I can't see them really standing for that in any case. Oh, and probably, an emotional pharaoh would be considered a weak one and they would probably plot against him at some point.**

 **In relation to Mana, Mahado, and Isis's conversation, t** **he Ancient Egyptians DID actually have a magic that was called Heka (explains where the name Hekate/Hecate comes from actually) and was written about multiple times. They considered it to be more powerful than any of the gods combined (according to the Book of the Dead in the New Kingdom). It was mostly thought of as the king's but in his absence the priests were able to use it in his place. They did so to deal with life and death (both the priests and the kings) and others used it for things like love potions and pest control instead as they weren't granted the same amount of power. Anyone who could read a spell was able to perform it, but most could not read outside of the palace (scribes, the pharaohs, and priests/priestesses). The pharaoh had more divine magic and ordinary mortals couldn't do magic without serious consequences (and there's even a record in the 5th Dynasty about the pharaoh having to perform a spell to help a priest when he touched a royal scepter that was [obviously] the king's and was not made for others to be able to touch** **).**

 **Fun fact: Spells were done to bricks called "Birth Bricks" for women in labor and had paintings of Hathor and other goddesses and were said to protect the women during the process. Charms were also used to protect the babies from evil demons.**

 **Amulets were worn by the living and used to empower the dead and ward off evil and scarabs were even placed in the bandages of the mummies. Diseases were thought to be brought about by spirits so spells were cast as well as medicine given when the "victim" was being treated. Physicians and priests were interchangeably called magicians with no clear distinct line of definition.**

 **There was no actual name for "bad magic" like black magic or anything. People could use it for good or bad and the consequences were theirs to deal with.**

 **And I will have more on that the next chapter, when it actually has more than just a mention~**

 **I'll mention more of this as the story goes along (specifically [next chapter] some of the gods, rituals, temples, magic, etc).**


	4. Chapter IV

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Warning: Some slight cursing, small mentions of blood**

 **Update Schedule: I'll be updating every two days (lies, all lies apparently)**

 **Some of the timeline for Yu-Gi-Oh was altered (i.e. the time that Atemu's father dies, the time that Atemu visits the tombs for that blessing from the gods, Atemu's coronation, etc) and obviously the attitude Atemu has. I just can't see him being too much of an ass and power hungry if Yugi was in his life back then, especially with the way that he spends most of his time with him in this story and did so growing up as well. And the circumstances of the story, because those have a massive impact on him as well.**

 **SOME of the roles of the hierarchy are altered somewhat, SPECIFICALLY Yugi's as a scribe/vizier-in-training, Shiamun's as the vizier, some of Atemu's, slightly the women of the harem, and some of Isis's, Mahado's and Mana's.**

 **NOTE:** **The ritual within the temple is changed to follow the plot of the story. It's changed a LOT, in all actuality. Especially in the fact that the vizier and vizier-in-training were taken to attend. To add to this, the fact that nothing is given to the gods in sacrifice/tribute is against what would have happened in the temple. What Atemu actually DID offer to the gods would probably be really looked down upon by the deities and especially the high priest accompanying him. It is also going to be revealed later (if you don't guess what it is before the last chapter when Atemu and Yugi talk about it). The location of the ritual chamber would not have been as chosen in the story either, and would be a massive antechamber further within the temple. It would have been aimed at Amun-Re and would have been focused on appeasing the god to keep Ma'at and not allow** **Egypt** **to descend into Isfet.**

 **(More story information at the bottom...)**

Chapter IV

"Escort him back to his chambers," Atemu hissed angrily, not taking his eyes off his former guardian and bristling furiously when Yugi continued to glare at him as if he had somehow lost his mind. Seth did not move from the corner of his eye and the pharaoh wished for a moment that he would just do as he would have before, grabbing Yugi forcefully and leading him off. But Yugi was always quick to say that he had more power than Seth, that he rested higher on the pyramid of status that they all sat upon, making it clear that the brunet had no strength compared to him. He was always sure to put Seth in his place by reminding him just how much more power he possessed than the brunet could ever hope to gain for himself. He would not lash out at him unless he knew that he had the upper hand and Atemu was always careful to make it clear that this was an impossibility, especially where it concerned his partner. "Yugi, _go_."

"No, whatever you have to say to him can be spoken before me."

"No, it cannot and you need to _go_." He snapped his fingers at Seth, unsure of whether he really expected it to have any effect or not, and ground his teeth together to spit, " _Escort him back to his chambers, damn you_."

But Seth was not stupid and Atemu knew immediately that no matter how angry he got or how much he snapped at him as he would a hound, the priest was not about to go against Yugi. The older boy was too much like a cobra, pretty on the eyes, but he lashed out with speed and strength and he would maul both of them before they ever got the chance to lead him away from the discussion at hand.

"I will meet you there," he snapped, trying once more to make the older boy agree, only to gain a raised brow and something akin a silent sneer burning in his eyes. Flustered and growing frustrated with his lover's dismissal of his demands, Atemu glowered at him furiously.

Yugi merely blinked and leveled him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "And I said that I would remain here," he replied crisply, raising a brow and watching him with a cold gleam of challenge in his gaze.

"Then remain here. Seth and I will go!" he snapped, exasperated as he shot his cousin a dirty look.

"Stop being such a coward, Atemu. You are running without reason—"

"Oh, but I have _plenty_ of reason, Yugi," he laughed darkly, shaking his head slowly and glowering angrily at the older boy once more. His jaw twitched, aching on the right side with the force of his teeth grinding for a moment. "But I have no reason to speak with you here to listen. So leave me to speak with my cousin."

"Why should I do that?" Yugi bit back angrily, narrowing his eyes in frustration and glaring straight into the other's gaze. Red eyes flared with exasperation and brutal annoyance, his lip twitching and his jaw ticking despite the strain of the bones pressed together so harshly. "I don't think you have given me much reason to nor have you done much to deserve such privacy."

"And I always wondered who had more power," Seth barked out in laughter, shaking his head and smirking widely at his cousin as red eyes flickered and burned into his skin, furious. "You allow him to walk all over you like you do everyone else. Have you no shame, cousin?"

" _Mind your tongue,_ " the blue-violet-eyed boy spat, spinning on him viciously and making the brunet stop short of a chuckle, a choked noise coming out as he swallowed. The rage in Yugi's eyes was enough to make him wish he could swallow his tongue and his mouth grew dry as gleaming slits of sharp purple and spikes of dark sapphire blue bore into his. "You may think yourself great enough to speak back to him, but you forget that you are family and that merely protects you from _him_. _I,_ however, have no reason not to have you stripped of your ability to speak, do you understand me?"

Atemu rubbed at his temple, squeezing his eyes shut and covering his face with his left hand. "Yugi, please, just let me speak to him—"

"What are you going to say to him that I am not permitted to hear?" he demanded, turning on him like a striking cobra, power and finesse making his eyes hard and dark like glittering gemstones, and causing him to stiffen in surprise. "You want to hide things from me, very well, Atemu. But at least show me the respect of saying that you are too much of a coward to allow me to hear them."

The older boy was trying a tactic that both of them knew well. Egging him on usually made him explode, snapping whatever it was that lingered on his mind and refused to leave him. He would lash out, snapping and snarling, and the issue would be left in the air between them, desperate for attention and leaving them both flustered and annoyed before they tried again to talk about it. Normally it took a few hours for Yugi to break him into blurting it out, talking about nonsensical things until Atemu could not take it anymore.

It was how he got him to talk about the things he saw in the gardens that weren't there. It was how he had gotten him to speak his mind when he was stressed. It was the only way to make Atemu speak when he did not want to, unable to truly handle the conversation at hand while juggling whatever it was that scared or angered him so badly.

Eyes narrowed into slits, Atemu bore his teeth, grounding out, "I am not _afraid_ of letting you hear about—"

"If you weren't, you would not be hiding, now would you?"

"I plan to tell—"

"Do not take me for a fool. You're too cowardly to do so. You won't tell me because you are too weak and scared of what I might say," Yugi snapped, smirking widely and shaking his head at the way that Atemu froze in place at the statement. "Admit it. You have no plans to tell me because you fear judgment. But, in case you've missed anything I have already said, Atemu, I think nothing of you but that you are a coward with your tail tucked between your legs."

The pharaoh trembled for a moment, shaking his head and glaring as his mouth curled into a snarl, the coldness in his stare giving him the look of a rabid jackal about to lunge. His head snapped to face his cousin now, entire body shaking as the brunet backed up several steps, bright blue eyes wide and horrified at the sight before him. Atemu snarled low in his throat, the sound building in his chest and rising upwards in octaves that made both spectators fight away vicious flinches. Yugi was honestly amazed that Seth stood his ground with the visual refusal to come any closer, though he backed up a step in apparent shock. Atemu breathed raggedly beside him, furious as his teeth ground together loudly and his jaw clenched hard enough to clamp in place; the oldest boy could see the urge building in his eyes to shove him backwards as he had done only hours before, barely suppressed and making his gaze unnaturally dark.

"Leave me to speak to my cousin," Atemu hissed between his teeth, voice low and curling like a snake as it reached his ears. Yugi fought the urge to immediately get to his knees and ask forgiveness, the tone making his instinct of flight come to life beneath his skin. "I will come speak to you later."

Yugi hesitated, realizing in that moment that he really did have something to worry about. He was on the verge of losing his temper altogether, something that he knew had not lessened with the supposed wisdom of age. The only time that he had known the young monarch to lose his temper was when he was about twelve and his father's illness had begun so suddenly. There was no hope of curing the ravaging disease that had come over him and the physician had told Atemu as much only to have the boy tell him that he should figure it out or his head would be taken as his prize. With a limit of only seven days to figure it out and thus find a cure, Atemu had told him to keep working. He had run himself ragged to the point that the pharaoh was never out of his sight and he was skittish as a lizard trying to flee in the sand, and Yugi knew from witnessing his more vicious mental games that he had not allowed him much room to so much as breathe without his eyes on him. The week that passed had ended with the man's head being cut off as he had been promised, Atemu's patience run into nonexistence. Yugi had been horrified by the action, the way Atemu had failed to even blink an eye the entire time but the good thing that had come from the terrible event was that the monarch had been forced to realize that his father's death was imminent.

He shuddered at the memory and then gave him a flustered look, heat creeping up his neck at the way his breath caught momentarily. The few times the younger boy had lost his temper when it was only the two of them, it had been silence for days except for curt responses to questions about if he was well or if he wanted to do something. When it had been him, Seth and Atemu alone, Seth had gotten knocked around in a fury and Yugi had always ended up having to pull them apart when Seth retaliated and the threat of real bloodshed became an absolution. And right now he was not looking forward to Atemu attacking his cousin, seeing as he knew just as well as the monarch that he would not turn on him like that.

He might push him some, but he would never attack him like he did his cousin when he overstepped. Whereas the sole intention was to draw blood when it came to the blue-eyed priest, that was never truly the case between them. Even when Atemu childishly spat that he hated him and wanted to feed him to crocodiles, the most he had done was shove him away. The monarch had never been one to harm him, more focused on just keeping his head up when the others looked down on him and his choices and refusing to actually physically hurt him. He was more likely to swipe Yugi's feet out from beneath him in a verbal spat than he was to truly strike out on him, but in this moment, the blue-violet-eyed boy knew for a fact that he would not hesitate.

"Fine," he finally spat out, bristling when he saw the victorious look that crossed Seth's gaze and the way his lips threatened to tug into a smug smirk of amusement. His eyes bore into the youngest boy's face, gaze growing narrow as he watched his jaw tick sporadically with frustration at the situation. "I will go, but if you do _not_ come to see me, I will make you regret it, Atemu."

He shot a furious look at the brunet but paused in the entranceway to find that Atemu was giving him a remorseful look that burned his skin fiercer than the sun could ever hope. Yugi had a moment where he was tempted to forgive him then and there but merely twisted his face into a scowl and immediately turned away again to show that he was not willing to give him a chance at explanation. The monarch would find him later as it was, and it was not worth the effort of trying to make him speak when he had such a thin veil of patience as it was, so instead he wandered back towards his own chambers to settle for a small nap.

He woke long after the sun had started to set, ornery with the noise that had disturbed him and drawn him out of a dream of the other wrapped tightly around him. He could still hear Atemu panting breathlessly, needy and desperate, and his tongue still tasted of the other's pleased whimpers. Groggily he raised his head and set his eyes on the doorway, narrowing his gaze when he recognized the soft sound of the younger boy's footsteps. He had long ago grown accustomed to the noise after countless nights of waiting for him to find his way to him or running into him in the hallways. Atemu had always been light on his feet, steps as soft as that of the cat that shared his bedchambers, and he could move like a shadow if Yugi did not listen closely.

The task was tiresome and frustrating, his hearing constantly strained, but the older boy had never been one to be taken by surprise. It did not matter who attempted to leap out at him when he was not looking. It was simply that Yugi refused to be taken off guard and so would not allow someone to sneak up on him. The fact that Atemu thought to do so often while they were growing used to each other when they were younger had done nothing but make him even more determined to hear him even when the pharaoh did not want him to. Now, however, he was relieved to find that the other was not trying to mask his approach by making himself nearly silent on his feet, instead sounding almost disheartened in his movements.

Yugi thought to take it easy on him for a moment but immediately turned the impulse away, anxious for answers and frustrated as he was reminded once again of the situation from earlier. The fact that he had been interrupted before they could make love once more and during his own vivid dream did nothing to help suppress the irritation that surged through him.

He pulled at the sheer curtain of his canopied bed, the light material cool against his fingers and the mattress warm where he had rested in it snugly only moments before. He twisted a small bit of the fabric around his fingers, listening to his footsteps as he got closer, no louder or quieter than he was moments before. Lazily the older boy went about looking towards the material in his hand, taking in the slight glimmer it was cast by the candlelight from the beeswax he had begun to burn upon going to sleep. He had figured that it would take a while for Atemu to get to his side again, and he had wanted to see his face when he set foot in his chambers.

"Well?" he demanded, not bothering to look at him more fully than through the length of his dark black lashes, blue-violet eyes tracking him without lifting completely. The monarch froze in the doorway, glancing over his shoulder momentarily in a jerky motion that spoke of his split second idea of fleeing. "Oh, do not do that. Speak to me, Atemu. What did you have to say to your dear cousin that you would not permit me audience to?"

The pharaoh paused, hesitating, and then he finally looked over his shoulder once more, eyes wide and unsure for a moment. The light hit his face at different angles, the flames making his eyes dark and giving them a wild gleam that was overshadowed by his long lashes when he turned away again. Yugi watched his throat flex with a thick swallow, the monarch's jaw twitching once more with a nervous, flighty jerk of muscle that nearly made him cringe in sympathy. He hated making him so nervous but a startled Atemu was easier to deal with than an angry one and it was more likely he would say something without him having to try to choke it out of him.

"I…I never said I would tell you now," he finally choked out, sounding tired and momentarily horrified by his own statement, as if he could not understand what had just made him say it. He jumped like a startled feline when Yugi gave him a vicious look and got to his feet, starting towards him from the bed. "I…I…Yugi, please, I didn't say—"

Yugi paused for a moment, startled by the genuine fear and remorse that shown in those sharp red eyes, the way his gaze had widened drastically and he looked ready to flee at any second if he so much as looked at him the wrong way. "Relax," he cried, startled by the expression and feeling sick to his stomach with the idea that Atemu could possibly think that he would harm him. Frowning faintly and furrowing his brows slightly, the older boy tilted his head a fraction and blinked at him in momentary confusion. "I was just going to make sure that no one was with you, Atemu."

The pharaoh blinked wide eyes, glancing over his shoulder for a moment and peering down both sides of the hallway before shaking his head slowly. He looked slightly lost, eyes glazed over as if he had recently seen something that he knew no one else could, and Yugi nearly cringed at the sight. His voice came out slow, a drawl of near confusion, and murmured, "What? No. No one is—"

"Atemu, I may accept it when you say that you want to say something to your cousin without my ears as a second audience, but the fact is that you have been hiding something from me for the last few rises I have been back. In fact, I am beginning to believe that you might have been hiding it from me for _much_ longer than that but I have only recently come to notice it. See, a whole lunar cycle away will give you time to think and in that time you are given glimpses of things that you never truly noticed before. You are not acting strangely only now—you always have—but _I_ never gave it much consideration because that was just how you were. You have been this way since you were about ten summers old, perhaps? No, perhaps longer, but it was more noticeable when you grew to be ten summers old. About that time you began acting strangely but I never thought much of it because I assumed that perhaps it was simply because of the harassment Seth bestowed upon you. But no, it was some time around the point in which you went with your father to receive your blessing at the tombs, am I correct?"

Atemu's eyes grew wide, unfocused for a split second, and Yugi could see the darkness of the dead jackal once more, haunting in the blackness that it had possessed. The mockery and laughter still burned in his mind, giving Atemu a harsher light than Yugi had ever seen within his gaze before. "Yugi, please, I am not trying to hurt you or anything," he tried quietly, lips tugged downwards in momentary frustration as he shook his head faintly. "I—I _will_ tell you, but not now and not…not around others. I don't…I cannot allow others to hear what I am to tell you."

Yugi searched his eyes for a long minute, peering into dark red orbs that glittered with desperation for him to understand. "But not now. You won't tell me now," he stated slowly, narrowing his eyes more fully to stare as if into his soul, peering into him.

"No. I…I won't tell you now."

"What makes now different from a few rises from now, habibi? Are you going to wait _summers_ to tell me what it is you have been so keen on hiding from me, Atemu?" he requested softly, eyes searching the other's steadily, and giving him a small smile to make sure that he did not feel intimidated.

"No!" he cried immediately, startled and defensive as he shook his head wildly once more. "No, I-I…Yugi please, just…can't we just rest and not be at each other's throats? I am exhausted and I just…I do not want to fight you. I have never wished to fight you."

Flustered, the older had the smallest impulse to snap at him that he had been the cause of many fights for the sake of relieving his own boredom, but stopped when he saw the despaired expression on his face. Atemu looked nothing short of absolutely miserable, shoulders sagging and eyes pitifully tired, his hands even seeming to shake as he stood in front of him. He did not look like a childish brat or a monarch, but more like he had all those times he had been wounded or gotten himself hurt growing up. He looked meek, tired, ready to submit and beg for attention or forgiveness or anything else someone might spare him. But mostly he looked like he might cry, burst into tears and sob until his eyes had nothing left to offer and a river as strong as the Nile spilled through the palace.

His bitterness at being excluded was forgotten immediately as he nodded and gave him a small, gentle smile and extended his hand. "Come lay with me," he invited, voice low and comforting, and waiting silently for him to accept. For a long minute Atemu seemed to stare blankly at his hand, taking in the contours of his palm and his fingers, watching him as if he expected him to revoke the invitation at any moment. And then he finally reached his own hand out to trace his palm with gossamer fingertips, eyes darkened with despair but brightening some as Yugi smiled kindly and squeezed the slender digits when he caught them between his.

"I do expect you to tell me what this is about, however, habibi," he commented with a slightly distressed note creeping through his seemingly light statement, turning on his heel and leading the pharaoh back towards his bed. Atemu made a disgruntled noise of affirmation, nodding when Yugi glanced over his shoulder sharply to make sure he understood he would not leave it alone by any means. " _Good_."

"I will tell you everything soon, Heba…just…not now," the other vowed in a soft voice, swallowing hard as his eyes darkened further for a split second before the dreariness seemed to disappear from his expression altogether as suddenly as a flame flickered atop a burning candle.

His name came out in such a beautiful term of endearment that Yugi nearly shook with pleasure at the promise the other had given him. He hummed a small appreciative noise, shaken with the adoration that had come with his given name, and was glad to know that the younger boy was at least listening to him fully. He settled onto the bed with his arms opened, allowing Atemu to immediately crawl into the warm embrace he offered, a soft purr making his chest vibrate and Yugi snicker at the comfortable and ever-familiar sensation. The older boy had the desire to kiss him firmly but realized the younger was not comfortable enough to do so at the moment. He was visibly exhausted and did not seem even slightly turned towards the possibility of making love or even sharing kisses.

* * *

"So, shall I acquire how Atemu is today?" Shiamun murmured curiously, glancing at his grandson and smiling a little when he saw the boy stiffen and then give him a sharp look of annoyance. Amusement bubbled up in the pit of his stomach, laughter beginning to form in his lungs, and he barely suppressed it in order to speak without snickers. "What is it? Are you fighting again?"

" _No_ , and he is _fine_ ," Yugi snapped icily, pausing before gracing him with yet another sharp glance and clenching his jaw at the note of snide childish distaste in his own voice. "Just unbelievably spoiled and acting stupid." _As always_.

"Well, then, he is acting just as he does every other day," the vizier commented, taking joy in the way that his grandson bristled furiously at the statement.

He turned a vicious glare on the older Muran and shook his head sharply. "Do not speak of him like that," he spat, rolling his eyes momentarily before feeling the urge to frown at himself. A small bit of heat crept up his cheeks for a split second at the thought before he shook his head faintly. "You have no right."

Shiamun chuckled softly, smirking at him to gain his attention more pointedly before he tilted his head suspiciously. Of course his grandfather was playing with his frustration to make him defend the other boy. Yugi rolled his eyes upwards and sighed loudly, picking his way around him and glancing at the wall as if it could keep his attention for more than a few split seconds.

"Why are you so terribly interested anyways, Grandfather? I am not nearly as irritable as I should be granted his behavior."

The vizier chuckled a little louder, smirking widely and shaking his head as he began to follow his grandson as he tore his eyes from the paintings along the stone walls and continued down the hallway. "Atemu has yet to pay tribute to some of the gods and visit the temples this rise," he explained softly, seeing Yugi's frustrated expression grow tenfold for a brief second and smiling that much wider, eyes shining with laughter and mischief. "I just wanted your thoughts on whether I should have him accompany us this rise or the next."

The younger Muran scoffed loudly but stopped immediately, flushed with discomfort at the snide note that made his voice vicious as he spoke. "I do not know. I could ask him—"

"Or you could simply tell him now as it is his duty to do so," his elder pressed, satisfied when Yugi spun on him with a furious expression cloaking his features and making his shoulders stiff as they rose slightly in irritation. The light of the fires made his eyes take on a glow like the galaxies that the astrologers studied so often, sapphire blue and deep violet glimmering reflections of white like the stars themselves.

"Oh yes, Grandfather, like he is ever going to actually _listen_ to me!" he sniped angrily, rolling his eyes and shaking his head in heavy disapproval and frustration, making a noise in the back of his throat that could possibly be described as a snarl. "Atemu will not even tell me when things frustrate him. By Ra, he is driving me insane! I have no idea what I am doing with him and he never listened well in the first place—especially not to me!"

"He thinks the world of you," Shiamun stated softly, smiling in amusement and shaking his head as he glanced around the hallway slowly. He almost thought that he could hear Atemu wandering somewhere amongst the walls, possibly making his way towards them as he always seemed to do when Yugi was within close proximity. The pharaoh seemed to have some kind of internal directional guidance that led him straight to his grandson, something that he had always found quite amusing when they were younger. Yugi could lose Atemu if he looked the wrong way but the red-eyed boy always came back to his side as if he were attached to him physically, as if their skin were the same and their bones were merely separated by air. Just as he was then, Yugi became flustered and a bit antsy whenever Atemu got closer to him, always startled by his sudden appearance but happy all the same.

"I _know_ that," Yugi snapped, scowling before his shoulders sagged uncomfortably at the thought of how terribly ungrateful he was behaving in that moment. His skin crawled with self-aimed disgust at the realization, shaken with the fact that he could possibly have turned his frustration on the other boy's affection towards him. Whether Atemu was being unbelievably foolish or not, he had no right to be dissatisfied or frustrated with his lover's attention towards him. He sighed, shaking off a bit of resentment towards himself and his reaction, and shook his head immediately to clear his thoughts. "He is just being frustrating right now."

He turned away from him immediately to hide some of his blush, staring instead at the drawing of Atemu and his father and mother that lined the walls. A newborn red-eyed boy was painted beneath his parents who were both dressed in their ceremonial clothes, his mother in her golden threaded dress and his father in his pure white robes. They had drawn Atemu during his first chariot race, his horses decorated with bright, beautiful feathers that made their glossy manes that much more hypnotic. They had drawn his coronation beside it, something that Yugi was unsure he would ever be able to get over having not been a part of. It was a large drawing, of Mahado and Isis crowning their new ruler, with Atemu standing between them and Seth acting as the high priest to pronounce his ceremony and the approval of the gods. There was nothing past this but Yugi was still caught up in the image and just how much power it seemed to possess even in that moment.

Atemu looked solemn even in the drawing, head bowed slightly, his cape looking heavy around his shoulders, the crown engraved beautifully upon his forehead in a way that made it impossible to overlook. He was half surprised that it was colored so fully as to even get the red of his eyes though it was dull and flat in comparison to the depth of the ruby orbs. His lover looked exhausted even where he was etched permanently within the limestone, though it was done beautifully enough that it was unnoticeable. He shook his head slightly, trying to banish some of the remorse he felt at having missed such an important moment in the other boy's life. The coronation was meant to be the single most important moment that could exist for the pharaoh. He wondered vaguely how long they had been gone before his father passed and the idea made his stomach flip in momentary distress. Had it been almost immediately, a few days after? How had Atemu dealt with it when it happened? Had he needed him or was he able to stand on his own two feet regardless?

"If he was not so frustrating, you wouldn't love him," his grandfather teased, glancing up and spotting Seth coming towards them now. Wasn't that right? Yugi snorted in amusement at the statement but bit off any response as his head snapped around to take in the owner of the footsteps he caught in that moment. He was expecting Atemu for whatever reason, sure that he would have found his way to him by now, but then spotted the brunet, snorted in disdain, and turned away dismissively.

"Atemu will be joining you shortly," Seth said through his teeth, glowering shortly at the older boy and shaking his head in annoyance. Yugi's eyes narrowed slightly, unsure of whether he was speaking the truth or not. "Although, I doubt that he will be paying tribute as you desire."

Yugi turned his head, eyeing him slowly, expression skeptical and cold, voice coming out with a sharp and vicious edge that made his grandfather blink in surprise. "And why do you say that?" he demanded, raising a brow and glowering as the thought of the night before sprung to mind. Atemu had been so terribly exhausted and looked as hollow as his voice when he had addressed him and insisted that he leave. Yugi had been unable to coax him into doing more than rolling over to face him and falling asleep with his head against his chest, completely lost as to how to help him.

If Seth had done something to hurt him, he would carve his skin off and hang it like a drape in his room. Atemu may have been able to handle his own but he was not about to let Seth take advantage of any weakness he might have displayed when he was not there to defend himself. He would sooner ask Anubis to curse him and Osiris banish him from the afterlife than allow such a thing. Then again, perhaps that was Seth's fate at this rate; to raise so much as a hand to the pharaoh was to rise against the gods and declare war. Atemu was the descendant and vessel of Horus himself. And, with the constant power struggle that he seemed to challenge Atemu to, it would not surprise him if the gods themselves turned on him at any rate.

"I mean what I _said_. I do not believe that he will be paying tribute as you desire."

"And why _wouldn't_ he?"

"I am so terribly pleased to see how little faith you all seem to have bestowed upon me," Atemu stated curtly, coming up from somewhere behind Yugi and Shiamun. The vizier jumped like a cat but his lover merely glanced at him, receiving a small smile in greeting even as the red eyes shot his cousin an icy look. The older boy tilted his head, narrowing his brilliant eyes, but could not help but give him a small smile in return, having been unable to say more than a quick salutation before hurrying to find his grandfather when he had woken.

"Yes, well, I see no reason to believe you would make the proper ritualistic sacrifice. You have done nothing more to help the kingdom."

"I would think that perhaps preserving Ma'at would be more important than the things that seem to keep your mind so terribly occupied at night, dear cousin." Seth's cheeks took on a dusted pink hue and Yugi snorted in amusement, shaking his head and smirking playfully. Atemu smirked widely at his cousin and then turned away, sweeping his rich dark blue cloak luxuriously with a grace that would put a god to shame. Yugi shivered slightly at the sight, a little more approving of the action than he was truly willing to admit. Someone was growing distinctly cocky. "We would not want our kingdom to fall into Isfet, would we now, dear cousin?"

"Oh, but with you to lead us, I am sure Isfet is not far behind," Seth sneered, following him as Yugi hastened to gain the spot at his side to dissuade the brunet from getting closer. Thankfully he took the hint and Shiamun placed himself in the immediate lead behind them while Seth kept pace at his side with daggers glared into the back of his cousin's head.

"I do enjoy a lovely spat in the mornings. Please, continue Seth," Atemu stated, voice low and commanding, with a threat that all three of his companions could hear like the sun's rays bearing down on their skin. Venom laced the air until the force of the words seemed to leave them, the tension creeping into their systems and slowly dissipating as the seconds passed and the brunet failed to take the bait. Yugi thanked the gods that at least Seth had the power to hold his tongue and recognize a threat when Atemu challenged him.

However, that fact alone spoke volumes. Normally he would have taken the bait without thought and they would have had it out right in front of them. Now the priest held his tongue and silently seethed behind them. The thought made his skin crawl and he cast a small glance at his younger lover, swallowing hard as, again, he wondered what could have possibly happened while they were gone.

He settled after a long minute, the tension in his shoulders finally slipping away as he reveled in Seth's silence. At least for the moment there would be no battle between them regardless of how that had come about. Whether Atemu and Seth had torn into each other or not, he was still left wondering and yet it was still something that he shied away from gaining knowledge of. He did not want to know what had pushed them over the edge and caused Atemu to truly put him in his place as he should have done long ago.

Pushing the thought away, Yugi found himself wondering about the tribute that they would be performing. It was unusual for more than just three to be allowed to set foot within the temple of Amun-Re, the pharaoh and his high priest of choice, and a sacred butcher. But now Atemu had drawn Shiamun and Yugi into the ceremony for a reason that his grandfather seemed to know but Yugi himself was still unsure of. As far as he knew, he thought that perhaps the sacred butcher had been one of the two officials that had been found dead several days before.

He had never truly become acquainted with him, as their paths were not required to cross, as it was not likely they would ever need to call upon the other's specialized skills. Shiamun had met him and obviously Atemu had, as well as Seth, but Yugi had merely been learning and had never felt it was necessary to further acquaint himself with him. He was sure that they had perhaps run across one another at some point, but he did not think that they had ever spoken to one another beyond a possible greeting if even that. He was not needed for such rituals, nor was even Shiamun, as the job of the vizier did not extend so far.

"It is a miracle that you even do as you should with such homage," Seth sniped bitterly, surprising Yugi who cast a quick glance towards his younger lover who merely rolled his dark eyes upwards as if praying mentally. He could see the high priest shaking his head and glaring once more but Atemu did not even grace him with a dismissive glance as he would have had it been someone else. Had it been Yugi, the pharaoh would have turned on him immediately. If it were Shiamun, it would have caught his attention and earned the elder his wrath. "You do nothing _else_ correctly. So why should you do this?"

"If I were truly so terribly unfit to be pharaoh as you like to claim, cousin, I do believe my people would have voted for another to take the throne," he stated calmly, shrugging dismissively and glancing at Yugi sideways with a brow raised in amusement. He smirked in response to the thoroughly entertained one he found claiming the older boy's lips, winking playfully. He made a face, scrunching his nose up and pretending to mimic Seth with extremely exaggerated disgust and annoyance that made him choke on laughter and give him a soft glare of amusement. At least the banter between them would not escalate as Yugi had originally feared.

The moment that they passed through the massive arched entrance, Yugi smiled at the feel of the sun against his skin like a welcoming kiss of warmth and the soft brush of air like gossamer fingers. Atemu gave him a small sideways glance, his eyes locking for a moment, and the pharaoh granted him a soft smile before turning away again. The guards glanced at them, one of them opening their mouths but falling immediately silent and bowing when their monarch held a hand and gave them a simple look to hold their tongues.

Yugi took in the columns that rose high over their heads, glancing back towards the walls to see the drawings of guards and worshipping commoners, the pharaoh dressed in the more traditional crown of white and red. He took in the expression on Atemu's face as they passed, the way his eyes flickered lazily back and forth in a scanning motion before he settled once more and almost managed to look somewhat relaxed. Yugi admired the stripes of green and bright blue, the threads of golden foil weaved into each of the bases, the hieroglyphs that marked it as the palace with gods such as Ra hanging in gold above the doors. The knockers were painted gold, with the weavings of designs that came together like the interlocked strands of a lotus's petals. The falcon's head rested above both of them, as if watching and staring at the people who could possibly wish to enter, emeralds making the eyes just above their vicious beaks. He turned away again, continuing with Atemu through the spacious area of sandstone that made up the red-floored pathway to the very gates of the palace's impenetrable walls. The sign of Horus—a falcon with its wings of bright blue and gold tipped with crimson outstretched and a sun of bright red above its mighty head—greeted them as they continued.

He glanced sideways at Atemu once more, smiling as he took in the way that the pharaoh gave a small glance at the marking and snorted as if in dismissive disdain. Yugi was not the least bit surprised by the response to it as he had been long ago, knowing now that his lover was all but completely put off by the constant markings of their gods. They did decorate nearly every inch of the inside of the palace as it was, with constant ceremonies year after year and every day at the same time. He had always wondered if Atemu even thought of them as more than figments of religion, like names that he needed to know in order to appease others if they spoke of them. With the way that he sometimes spoke of them, Yugi had to question it, especially when he seemed to grow furious at the mention of them for a split second before he would compose himself again. Perhaps he believed in their existence but did not truly respect them? Was that even possible, however?

The gods recognized Atemu as the pharaoh and he could not see how they might possibly do so if Atemu did not share the same aspect of dignity towards them in return. Surely they would have sent some kind of discord among the people of Kemet or the high priests would have spoken of it by now. Or Isfet would have fallen upon them by now, as Ma'at could not be kept appeased and upheld if their own pharaoh, the very binding of the gods to the mortals, did not even care for the very beings that had given him life.

Yugi shook the thought off and instead walked past the sphinxes with a curious glance towards the cat-like creature. They lay like stone protectors, watching with careful eyes painted gold like the sun or the very gaze of the lion in the desert. The shadows they cast stretched inwards towards them, soft against the dirt in darkness that was barely recognizable against the delicate grains. The heavily trodden pathway of red carved between the strips of grassy land that would lead them to the entrance of the city looked suddenly far too short to him. The scarce palm trees waved lazy leaves in a hot breeze that scorched his skin and Yugi ignored the gentle rustle of noise to cast a curious look towards his lover once more.

The temple of Amun-Re, resurrected a few short generations before Atemu's reign, was just outside of the city walls and definitely within walking range. Unlike other temples, it had grown too large to be contained within the walls of Waset and so lay outside of them very close by. He had heard a great deal about it from Shiamun, though he, as well as every other, knew that his grandfather was not the highest priest as others may have been generations before him.

The thought of the grand structure in all its glory, allowing him entrance alongside his lover, made him grow anxious and excited, skin crawling with anticipation. The ritual was meant to be something that Atemu did daily with help from no other than the sacred butcher who would cut the throat of the offered cattle and his cousin who was meant to be his right hand as a high priest. The gods would speak through Seth to the pharaoh, as Atemu was always the absolute High Priest of Every Temple, the right of the very reincarnation of Horus himself. The young monarch served as the very thing that stood between the people of Kemet and the wrath of the gods, appeasing them with ritualistic sacrifices to their chief god, the creator of everything, Amun-Re.

Yugi always found it a little ironic that Atemu was named after Ra when he had turned human to walk among the mortals and so was forced to make tribute to a god that he essentially existed as on earth. He was the reincarnation of Horus, the son of Ra, and all of it was oddly funny to him when he really considered it.

But regardless of the humor of the thought, it was still unnerving to be drawn into this situation to witness such a power being invoked in the temple.

It was sacred and hardly meant to be witnessed by an outsider's eyes, especially when neither he nor his grandfather was meant to see a sacrifice as it was. He was but a mere scribe at the moment, with a set path to take the place of his grandfather when he retired from his duties, but still nothing beyond that. Shiamun was not the highest priest as others before him might have been and had no place in temples except upon giving his own tributes or praying to the gods. But Yugi supposed that had changed some since the task they had been sent on only a month before.

He shook his head and gave Atemu a curious glance just as the monarch turned to his people with a wide smile, red eyes bright and shining with forced laughter and happiness. " _Anything to appease the commoners_ ," he remembered his grandfather saying one time, " _so that no panic comes about upon seeing an unhappy pharaoh. They would react badly and consider the gods to be smiting the kingdom if Atemu were to ever show them his true face_."

But as Yugi looked at him, he remembered that not once had the pharaoh ever truly bothered to be among them before, having grown up far more reserved than his father or others before him. The red-eyed monarch had never truly desired to wander among the people outside of the palace, always amused with the concept of escaping the confines rather than remaining in them. He had never been one for large amounts of attention, more modest in that aspect than he would claim of any other pharaoh being. He preferred having people around him for small increments of time rather than being forced to be part of the immensity that came with a crowd.

Now the people all moved to see him, eyes wide as they took in his slender but terribly opposing form as Atemu had only ever left the palace through the back ways to get to the temple. When he left other times, he knew that guards were there with him, circling in an effort to protect him and hold off any commoners that he felt were coming too close. His reluctance to be around others had extended well into the crowds of witnesses in audience chambers as well as while he was being given news or greetings from foreign ambassadors. When visits came about, he was likely to have a select handful of guards and Seth and Shiamun there, the other priests outside the audience chamber but waiting for any sign of hostility to defend their pharaoh. If harems were brought in order to trade then for goods or Atemu's good graces, they were to be taken to the living quarters immediately while he spoke to their ambassador without their ears to hear his words.

Yugi knew that the pharaoh's parents had done everything they could to help him feel safer without having to have him around all of his subjects. He thought, however, that maybe his mother had insisted on him growing up with the children of the harem to help try to integrate him into crowds better. Or perhaps she could already see the spoiled jealousy that would grow under Seth's skin and had decided that she would not allow her son to turn out that way as well. Sometimes Yugi truly thought that maybe she had keen insight into just how picky and difficult but overall beautiful Atemu would turn out regardless of how little time she had been able to hold him before passing.

Atemu continued giving a wide smile, eyes bright and deceptively warm though Yugi could see the thoughts working behind that beautiful red gaze. He wanted away from them, because they were too close and there were far too many for him to be comfortable, all of them practically shoving to get near him. Anytime he had truly left the palace without his guards due to the desire to be alone, he would take to his chariot if he had to leave the walls of the building he called home. Because of the temple of Amun-Re being so close to their home despite its position outside of the city limits, Atemu had never been truly forced to leave Waset. He thoughts perhaps that was one of the few things that the red-eyed monarch was grateful for as being a noble.

Yugi continued at his side, unsure of whether to fall back or stay in step with him but not willing to take the chance of losing his place at his flank. He did not want to allow someone to unnerve him more than he already seemed and his instinct was to always try to protect and shield the younger boy if he had the ability. And he had that chance now, but he also realized in that moment as well that he could possibly be putting out an unwanted display of weakness on Atemu's behalf. A vizier-in-training was not meant to stand at the side of his pharaoh, not as a lover or his equal, and especially not in front of others. Seth and Shiamun may have known, even Mahado and Mana and Isis, but it was well kept beyond that, with rumors circulating of Atemu having concubines to share his bed often.

The pharaoh slipped away from him, passing off through a small gap in the mass of people and weaving his way easily towards the temple without much thought. Golden doors with the symbols of gods engraved into the painted wood, glittering in the sunlight like the water of the Nile, gave him a well-loved reprieve for the moment. He was guiltily relieved to see that the golden gates were stretched open before him, a tremble passing through him at the welcomed sight. The sunlight glittered across each carving that existed on the large, thick doors that marked the nearest exit standing so close before him. He shivered again, smirking as he broke past several commoners, and glanced back and forth between the sphinx statues that rested on either side of the great doorway.

He snickered as Yugi scrambled to his side, nearly panting with the task of having to get through the immense crowd of people encircling them so closely. The older boy gave him a startled, wide-eyed look, wild in his gaze for a split second before smiling warmly as he sought his affectionate expression in a crowd of strangers. He gave him a wide, amused smile, and Yugi barely suppressed the urge to chuckle in embarrassment. He glanced back, spotting his grandfather and Seth approaching as well, and grew relieved with the sight of them in that moment, smiling as they joined them immediately.

Yugi turned back, relieved as Atemu gave him a small sideways smile of affection before turning away to face the temple that seemed to be rising from beneath the waves of sand in the distance as they got closer. The temple of Amun-Re was spectacular, his heart pounding as he got closer to the sight of it, his eyes flickering to the other boy who looked distinctly unimpressed with it all.

He was momentarily surprised by the immense walls that rose upwards like those of the barrier surrounding cities and Atemu's own numerous palaces. They stretched for what seemed to be miles, though he had to suspect they were smaller and the heat of the sun and the distance they were closing distorted the length and size. He could see, surprisingly, that it was far larger than the one that they had visited to give sacrifice to Anubis before. He could see the quay that stretched from the Nile to the west, water gleaming in the warm sunlight, the way that it bounced and reflected back in soft white light. A larger structure rested before it, rising higher into the sky than the walls themselves, with a lopsided design that made it seem almost like a set of three steps against vast blue. He could see three more separate entrances, one to the left of the canal's entrance and two on the opposing walls, giving more room to the second axis of the temple.

A ramp-like set of wood and stone stairs made a pathway upwards into a courtyard marked with little patches of deep green grass and trees, limited greenery amongst flattened limestone. A large pool of water was held in a trough of paved stone with small bits of plant life to surround it on either side, nothing nearly as extravagant as a garden. He shivered, eyes wide as he looked at Atemu and smiled slightly at the soft amusement in his gaze as he regarded him curiously. Blue-violet eyes shot back to the structure, growing to the size of twin suns as he looked it over curiously and nearly trembled at the power it seemed to possess even with the distance.

Windows marked each of the columns that supported the enormous structure, twice more on one side than the other, and the entranceway he could see held small walls that stood only to their knees, easily stepped over. The walkway was given a deeper color, of something akin blue and white rather than the strict shade of alabaster limestone that the walls were made of.

He was nearly trembling with anxious excitement as they closed in on the small barrier that made up the walkway towards the entrance. A sphinx rested on either side of the entrance, with rams' heads that symbolized the great god Amun, each holding a statue of a nameless pharaoh beneath their paws as if they were precious treasure to be guarded with their lives. The huge entrance pylon, unequal in the height of its upper regions, held uncut clocks which projected from its undecorated surfaces. High upon the gate, he could see an inscription, and he craned his neck to read it, making Atemu pause between him with a small flicker of frustration in his wine-colored eyes.

"Come, Yugi, we don't have all day," he stated softly, brushing his shoulder against his to gain his attention and bring him to a walk once more. Yugi glanced at the inscription once more but could make nothing out and so continued with him, ignoring the snort Seth gave. Passing through the pylon was strange, the shadows seeming somehow almost as deep as night and encompassing all of the courtyard before their very eyes. He blinked wide eyes at the sight, and marveled at how thick the darkness seemed despite the high position of the sun laying at its zenith in the sky. For a moment he did not think that he could see it all, but then his attention took to his left, eyes widening in surprised delight.

Granite and sandstone were carved into a large rectangular structure of bright red and gold, with water glistening within the shade the building's massive entrance offered. Three large doorways stood there, pronouncing the presence of three chambers, the doors standing almost three times his and Atemu's height.

"Mut, Amun, and Khonsu," Atemu stated quietly beside him, voice holding a slightly dismissive undertone as his dark eyes flickered around almost lazily. Yugi glanced at him, still in awe of the beauty that the courtyard possessed, the immense power that seemed to cloak the very area surrounding them. He thought that it should be impossible to not be drawn in by its splendor, but remembered immediately that the pharaoh came here each day, and so he had no reason to be awed as Yugi was.

Atemu gave him a small smile, still beautifully amused with his surprise, and then trailed away, Yugi taking in more of the chamber as he turned and blinked stupidly. Both Shiamun and Yugi were the only two with wonder displayed on their faces, though Seth still gave it the various looks of respect and pride that he normally did upon being brought to the temple. In the center of the hallway was four groups of columns, separated by the central aisle which was oriented in the longitudinal axis of the temple, and by a transverse path perpendicular to the axis with access by the doors in the northern and southern walls. He peered through the second, western pylon of the temple to see an aisle bordered with open papyrus capitals. The columns were marked with a ring up towards the very top of each in which the Horus name of Ramasses II lay, the former pharaoh's elevated double cartouche rising above it. Ra decorated the top of each, with alternating forms of the phoenix and the dragon that Yugi himself knew how to summon for limited amounts of time. Above these images, Yugi found that the enormous papyrus capitals imitated the tuft of blossoming lotus flowers, the cartouches once more placed between each.

The pharaoh in the image stood before the god Ra in his dragon form, a sun disc on its forehead between a pair of red eyes that seemed to be glowing even in the shade cast through the courtyard. Its massive wings took up most of the space, both emerging from a goatskin blanket embraced by the extended wings of Ma'at.

Centered within the courtyard was a kiosk with ten huge papyrus columns linked by a low screening wall and open at its eastern and western ends. It was open to the sky, not quite as shielded from the sunlight as most of the structure, instead graced with beams that made the courtyard itself glow warmly in soft gold. The picture surmounted a pedestal crowned by the image of Anubis and the dragon form of Osiris, in front of which a lion stood whose chest came to the level of the shafts. The jackal and the dragon were drawn in a large scale, Osiris's two mouths open as if with the task of drawing away the breath of any spectators, something Yugi could feel happening as he gazed at it. It looked like a large serpent, with an elongated body and wings that looked almost as large as Ra himself, its legs shorter with only three claws to grace each. Golden eyes glowed as if alive and for a moment he wondered if perhaps they could somehow rest within the temple, watching them that very second, observing their red-eyed pharaoh, Horus given flesh. He shook his head, trying to shrug the idea off and failing drastically as his shoulders tensed momentarily and his mouth grew disgustingly dry. He turned his attention to the small table that rested nearby, swallowing hard at the image that awaited him there. Anubis was holding his hand out to the dragon, his jackal head lowered slightly and a crown raised towards Osiris whose second mouth seemed to be caught open in a laugh, the large tusk at the edge of its jaw making Yugi fight off a tremor.

He remembered the dragon too well from facing off with Atemu during one of their rare shadow duels, the divine beast their pharaoh's solely. It responded to no one else, no matter how hard he or Seth had attempted it, the very first creature that the red-eyed monarch had ever summoned at the age of six. It had caused quite a bit of worry amongst the high priests, unnerved by the sight of a god being drawn forth by their pharaoh when he was still so terribly young. Yugi himself had been horrified by the sight of the massive creature, the way it was summoned first through a portal of black in the floor, shadows twisting and writhing in a circle that whipped the air in a cyclone that threatened to toss any within its grasp. The sky had darkened to the point that it seemed the sunrise had reversed into night, the distant rumble of the heavens making the palace itself shake violently as if the earth were breaking beneath them. And then it had risen from the darkness in front of the pharaoh, its wide jaws open as the gem in the center of its elegant crown gleamed and seemed to reflect every creature in the room. It had slipped out effortlessly, far too large to be comfortable, drawing itself into the air for a moment before lowering itself to the ground in thick coils of white-striped black scales that seemed to pulsate in the dim light. Its eyes had glowed with undeniable strength, allowing for no mistakes to be made as to its divinity. The scythes on its chest, lying where he could only guess was its heart, were lowered to the floor, its front legs flattened against the loose earth of the massive courtyard. With its elegantly crowned head, spikes of bright red rising like the blades of knives in arches like those of a bristling animal, its eyes had seemed to peer through any and everyone in the area around it. A forked black-blue tongue had flickered outwards, as if tasting the air, and made the tightly coiled position it had taken on that much more like a flared cobra, awaiting its prey to reach striking distance.

That image had haunted him quite often at night or whenever he was set against Atemu for a duel, something that he had never once been able to shake despite his efforts. With its wings tucked so delicately against its spiked spine, it had looked terribly like a serpent with two great mouths and tusks the size of his own body on either side of its bottom jaw. And its eyes, glowing and seemingly pulsating with the stripes of color along its underbelly, had seemed like staring into the sun itself. Yugi remembered those eyes more than he did even the way it coiled its immense body or tucked its wings away or flicked that tongue towards all of them as if in challenge.

He shivered once, an action noticed immediately by his lover who tilted his head in interest but did not ask when he shook his head faintly to quell his curiosity. The image upon the table was that of the dragon and the jackal, the crown being passed to Osiris to name him the god of the dead, the ceremonial relinquishing of his status. But around the image of their exchange was that of a series of interlocking lotuses, vines of bright green threading together like elegant well-spun cloth. A beautiful white flower rested within the image, petals bright and demanding attention, all of which seemed to be giving birth to two more on either side.

To the right of the entrance was a small temple, with a shrine designed there, the first court within it lined with statues of Ramesses, while the walls were decorated with various festival scenes and text. He did not recognize much of it from the images alone, as he would have if he were Atemu who clearly knew exactly what they meant. He had not been raised with the richest of histories among the pharaohs, something that Atemu had the liberty of having. He had been taught enough of their histories but not to the point that he could recognize such designs.

Atemu gestured for him to follow him, turning back to the south and walking back in the direction of the sacred lake that Yugi could see glimmering several yards away. Seth stepped forward, glancing upon the waters and smirking a little, giving Yugi a look that said he was clearly in his element and the vizier-in-training was in his territory here. Yugi merely raised a brow and snorted in obvious dismissal, instead turning to his lover who gave him a wide smirk of amusement and affection. He blinked and drew his eyes away to grow surprised when his gaze fell upon the priest's housing, a bowl of incense awaiting Seth's approval to burn. The lake was bright with rough hewn stone and on its southern side was a stone tunnel in which he could see several geese of Amun sitting in a yard further south. A chapel sat on the northwest corner of the lake.

"What's that?" he asked curiously, turning first to Atemu and then reluctantly to Seth for explanation of the small building that rest just beyond the chapel.

"It is a series of underground chambers that contain depictions of Ra's journey through the netherworld and his rebirth each day as a scarab beetle," Atemu stated softly, shrugging and shaking his head slightly as his eyes fell and lingered upon the entrance. "You can find a large granite scarab sculpture inside of it should you wish to go down there."

The pharaoh turned away again, instead glancing at one of the walls closest to the three doorways that he had said earlier led to the three chambers for the three gods. His eyes followed his, curious to see what he had taken to staring at for the moment, but when he tried to seek it out, he could find nothing. Pursing his lips slightly, Yugi wondered for a brief moment if Atemu was seeing things again, if the darkness lent him shapes of things that were not there. His eyes briefly flickered to his lover before shooting away to admire the hallway once more in an effort to dismiss the cold feeling of dread that crept down his spine at the very thought. Immediately he was drawn away from his thoughts, nearly purring with approval at the sight before him.

Throngs of statues depicting gods and kings lined the walls, scattered amongst the columns that made up the massive hallway. Twelve of them surged into the skies but the rest sat low to the ground, at about the size of himself and Atemu, easily climbed upon if he only put his mind to such a task. He glanced at Atemu sideways, swallowing hard and tilting his head as he saw the way his eyes were flashing with distinct annoyance at the artwork lining the walls. He understood the meaning behind the lengths of the papyrus columns, licking his lips as he thought immediately of the plants they symbolized. The smaller columns did not get as much sunlight as the large, like plants competing for the adoration of the god of the sun.

The western wall was covered in drawings of conquest, the king it boasted in all its eye-catching splendor beginning a long journey home. The scenes gradually crept to the temple entrance, where the pharaoh seemed to be presenting his enemies—defeated and lowly beneath him, kneeling before him—to Amun. On each side of the doorway the scenes expanded in height, with hieroglyphs that clearly spelled out the purpose of the "ritual massacre of the vanquished". At the east end of the southern wall he could see the carved narration of a battle that he knew nothing of, not even truly recognizing the words it boasted. Regardless, he did take in the large scene in which the king and several princes went about bringing a bound group of prisoners before their all powerful god.

In the lower half of the eastern section of the southern wall, he could see scenes depicting the taking of a fortress, beginning on the east edge of the wall with the king's departure for the desert road. Scenes of ambush and waterholes along the desert path shown immediately after, images heading west depicting the offering of gold to the gods and leaving Yugi wondering, unsure of the meaning of it all. He glanced at Atemu to see if he did, unsurprised when he found that the pharaoh obviously knew, his eyes narrowed in boredom but keen knowledge. More portraits of battle made up the walls until they reached the doorway in which images of the ritual massacre of the prisoners before Amun took priority.

In the final scene of slaughter, which was depicted on both sides of the northern doorway, he could see the king wearing a red crown—the symbol of the North kingdom before they had united beneath the sun god Ra—with a dozen prisoners tied together by their hair. The king held them secure with his right hand, while his left brandished a white club, Amun standing before them. In his left hand rested the key of life, Amun speaking words that Yugi had to truly stare at to read, slightly shaken by the words.

"'O my son of my body…I bring to thee the chiefs of the southern countries…I turn my face to the north, I work a wonder for thee, snaring the rebels in their nests…I turn my face to the east, I work a wonder for thee, I bind them all for thee, gathered in thy grasp'," he read out loud, under his breath, whispering the words though he saw the monarch tip his head and felt his eyes flicker to regard him. "'I turn my face to the west, I work a wonder for thee consuming for thee every land of Tehenu…I turn my face to heaven, I work a wonder for thee…The gods of the horizon of heaven acclaim to thee when Ra is born every morning…I turn my face to the earth, I work a wonder for thee, I appoint for thee victories in every country'."

Atemu grunted next to him almost imperceptibly and turned to see that his cousin had wandered off, realizing only as he turned back that the brunet was feeding some of the geese to help give the ritual blessing. He turned back to Yugi, tilting his head and waiting for him to glance at him in surprise at the attention he was getting. He smiled warmly for a moment, wondering why anyone should be so drawn in by a temple to the gods, before he realized that Yugi had no reason to be disdainful towards them as he was. He turned away immediately at the thought, jaw working to release a reflexive clench for a split second as he looked towards the other wall while the older boy went back to admiring the artwork.

On one of the lower registers, a king was clad in a long linen robe and presented bouquets of lotus flowers to the god, who stood before Ptah. On the door splay, the king wore the blue war helmet and was depicted as he entered the doorway with the key of life in his left hand while his right was held towards the god of gods.

Atemu gave him a small smile. "We don't have too much time. Seth and I are going to go on ahead and you two can remain here unless you wish to accompany us to the chamber?" he murmured, giving Yugi a pointed look that said he really wanted him there with him for the moment, regardless of whether or not he could witness it. He smiled at him, nodding, and the monarch gave him a grateful look before turning away again. Seth took the lead now, as was his right in the temple of the god of gods, and Yugi stayed a small step behind his lover, smiling as they started forward.

And, finally, Yugi caught sight of what Atemu had been formerly looking upon with pure disdained dismissal. As the pharaoh and Seth started forward, he found himself trembling in surprise at the sight of the image on the wall. As the monarch's dark cloak was tossed with Atemu's movements, fluttering thickly in the still air and taking on the appearance of sharp sapphire wings, his eyes widened and his frame shook minutely. Shiamun was walking past him, joining the other two, and his body was frozen in place as he took in the sight of it. Engraved into the wall, etched amongst the beautiful granite stone, was the image of Atemu himself. His coronation ceremony was given life and color upon the wall, the pharaoh gaining his rightful status as king of Upper and Lower Kemet.

Isis was dressing him with the cloak that rested around his neck, and Shada stood with the crown, Seth dressed to properly name him the pharaoh of Kemet through the incantation for the gods to acknowledge him. Mahado stood aside in the image, head bowed in submission and mourning, holding the Puzzle that had been taken from Atemu in the moment to give him more power as the pharaoh when the coronation was complete. It was done in far more detail than the one at the palace, with more to perform it, and the realization made his stomach sink.

"The Hall of the two crowns," he breathed, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut in dismay. Atemu had been given his coronation here, in these unfamiliar walls, without himself or his vizier to witness. He understood, however, that they could not wait as they could not have the whole of Kemet without a ruler, seeing as both the queen and her husband had passed. Without his father having betrothed him, Atemu had been thrust straight into the position, no chance of a moment's mourning because of the lack of authority among the palace.

"Yu…" He fell silent as he saw what the other was staring at, shaking his head immediately when the other turned his head to show some remorse. Instead, the red eyes raked over the drawing for several moments, narrowed in disdain, and his lip curled minutely as he turned away and snorted loudly. In the corner of his eye he could see his shadow, distorted upon the wall, and laughter bubbled out of him at the familiar sight as he shook his head and started out of the corridor again. Yugi followed after a moment, frowning in confusion at the dark, bitter noise coming from the other, and glanced at the depiction again.

He wanted to run his fingers over it but turned away from doing so, shaking his head and following the other instead. Atemu glanced at him from the corner of his eye, giving him a small smile to say he was okay, and turned away again. It was only as he was starting to relax once more that he noticed something on the wall. His shadow was stretched, long and dark, against the wall, making it look almost as thick as the portal that Osiris had come out of. Yugi froze in shock at the image that awaited him there, however, the spikes that should have been his hair facing the opposite direction, rising violently up and outwards. It was like a crown of power placed upon his head, which had twisted and grown distorted to take on an elongated appearance, his slim profile growing larger and more noticeable. His jaw was stretched, thicker and squarer in form, his nose pulled to a sharp edge almost akin a beak, the very bridge of his brows taking on a similar sharpness. The hair along his nape had taken to forming sharper spikes, the edge of Ra's wing on his shoulder mimicking the display. The way his cloak flowed gave the illusion of the very same, as if spikes were jutting out of his back, and Yugi caught sight of the Puzzle against his abdomen, a sharp shape on his abdomen that looked like the blade of a scythe sticking from his flesh.

It took for what felt like forever for them to actually reach the lake in which Yugi and Shiamun were led away by Atemu while the high priest began to purify the water and himself. The entire temple seemed too cold to be touched by sunlight and Yugi frowned as he found that the pharaoh's shadow still seemed twisted and strange. The monarch's eyes had taken a darker hue as well, his pupils almost seeming to have stretched across his irises and giving them a depth that had to have been unnatural. His stomach twisted as he took in a drawing on the wall, ignoring the urge to watch Atemu instead.

The jackal flashed through his mind momentarily and he resisted the urge to shake his head sharply and cry out. Its blackened eyes had been bottomless, with power that was unfathomable, and hatred with depths that made the Nile look like a shallow pool. He could see every one of its hairs risen into a bristle of anger as it snarled. He remembered its scream from inside the temple as it was killed, the choking edge that came from the cut to its throat.

Yugi shuddered and focused his eyes immediately on the walls, swallowing harshly and feeling relief bubble up in the pit of his stomach as he saw that Atemu had seemingly not noticed. On the second register along the wall was a king wearing a headband, a long, pleated linen robe, and a large scarf. In his hand, Yugi could see a vessel shaped like an ankh, while in his left he held a bundle of tried straw, which he could see in some of the writing was used to eradicate the marks of his footprints while turning his back to the god in question.

He wandered a step, passing his lover who moved aside for him to explore a small bit, red eyes still gazing at something he couldn't quite see. Instead he focused on the small temple in front of him, eyes glimmering in the low light. This was the same temple that—as the pharaohs before him had—Atemu would use at the end of the annual harvest. He would give a fresh input of energy to replenish the gods and the earth as they had become exhausted during that time. The Beautiful Feast of Opet would be held in Waset within this temple, lasting for twenty-seven days and celebrating the bond between the pharaoh and Amun.

The statue of Amun, which he supposed he would not see until that day, would be bathed with holy water, dressed in fine linen, and adorned in gold and silver jewelry. The priests would place the god in a shrine and onto a ceremonial podium supported by poles for the servants and commoners to carry. The pharaoh would come from within the temple, his priests carrying the statue, and then they would move through the crowded streets of Waset. A troop of soldiers would beat drums and musicians would accompany the priests in song while burned incense would make the air seem lighter.

When they reached the temple after the walk through Waset, the pharaoh and priests would enter the temple and ceremonies would be performed to regenerate the gods. In the process, the regeneration would recreate the cosmos and transfer the power of Ra to the pharaoh. When the twenty-seven days finally ended, the crowds would cheer for him and celebrate a guaranteed fertility of the earth and expectation of abundant harvests.

He remembered that even the lower-ranking people were then allowed into the temple to ask questions of Amun if they wished to, though it would be short and limited the time spent within it. The priests were said to speak answers for them, channeling the god, and whether the answer was pleasing or not was determined by Amun himself.

Yugi stopped short, eyes wide as he actually spotted the very corner of the statue. He had seen it in ceremony once, perched upon Shiamun's shoulders to take in the sight of it, but he had never truly been terribly interested in it all. He loved the gods, of course he did, but he had yet to feel the splendor that came with the presence of the statue. He supposed when they had paraded with it, it had not felt like much power had come from it then but he could feel it now, the entire temple cloaked in it. Just the very sight of the bottom plaque of carved sandstone made him fight off a tremor, waves of strength pouring forward to blanket the air.

He glanced at Atemu, wondering if he felt it too, and then his grandfather who was watching the pharaoh with a curious but somewhat guarded expression. The monarch seemed to be looking off into space once more, eyes dilated and head tilted slightly, as if in a trance of some kind, but he reacted as he would have otherwise to his stare. His eyes flickered over to regard him in response to his expression and then finally he turned his head and stared, waiting for him to say whatever was on his mind, lingering on his tongue and dying to be given life with his voice. The vizier turned away again, glancing at his grandson; Yugi raised a brow in question, confused by the look that had passed between them, but only received a small frown.

It took several long minutes for the high priest to finally return to them, giving his cousin a smug look that was met with a bored expression accompanied by a yawn. Yugi nearly burst out laughing at the slightly flustered look that came from the brunet who eventually huffed and turned away with a roll of his eyes.

"You two remain here. We will return shortly," Atemu instructed with a blithe undertone that bordered on callous in tone. The pharaoh gave his cousin a small snort and then started off for the antechamber that he could see nestled in the completed wall of the second pylon, Seth mere steps behind him. Yugi could hear them moving about but they were gone from his sight a few moments later, when Atemu glanced back at him with a small smirk before walking past his line of vision. Seth followed immediately after, not even bothering with a glance back, and Shiamun gave him a curious look when he began chewing on his cheek uncomfortably.

"Did you notice that Atemu did not bring an offering too or am I the only one?" Yugi finally asked softly, turning his head and staring at him. The vizier could see a plea for him to tell him he was wrong in his assessment of the situation, that Atemu had brought a tribute of some kind, but he merely shook his head.

"I noticed."

"Then what do you think he is doing in there? He said he was offering tribute…"

"No, he did not, Yugi. Seth even said that he did not think he would be doing so."

Yugi opened his mouth to argue but fell silent immediately, swallowing hard in displeasure. What could Atemu possibly be doing in there if not giving tribute? He knew that Seth could speak the god's words for him should he ask questions, but the price for questions was always blood or wine. And he had not seen either of them carrying anything of the sort. It was possible that perhaps Seth had brought some, having hidden it away until Atemu chose what he wished to do, but he highly doubted it at the same time. A soft popping noise made his head turn in confusion, eyes wide as he spotted soft yellow and orange, a glow amongst shadows, and his stomach twisted violently. He had only read of a purification fire, only given true power by the presence of Horus himself. Horus was responsible for driving back the power of the other gods and annihilating any enemies or monsters from the shadows that threatened to interfere with the business of the pharaoh.

Yugi shook the thought off, once again wondering what could possibly be so important that Atemu and Seth would need such a thing. If they wanted questions answered, then surely the pharaoh should have brought something for him to give as tribute, right? He shuddered, unnerved by the thought that the monarch was not doing as he was supposed to, and gave his grandfather a slightly frightened look. Shiamun smiled and gestured him over, giving him a small hug while his own eyes remained locked on the flickering light of the fire from within the chamber. The small window in the wall was too high to do more than give a tiny glimmer of stretched golden light from the flames.

Yugi was right to be fearful at the moment, especially when they had both been drawn into a ritual that was far from their right to even witness. It was only made more uncertain with the fact that Atemu was messing with gods without homage to be paid. One was never meant to invoke the gods if they did not give payment upon doing so.

He strained his ears, hearing the distant rumble of noise like voices mixed with a foreign power. He supposed that was Seth speaking the words of Ra for Atemu to hear, but grew further unnerved by the thought, feeling sick to his stomach. He thought perhaps he would vomit if he remained any longer, barely suppressing the urge to turn and flee from the temple altogether.

The air seemed to ripple momentarily, as if a summoning had occurred, but the lack of distorted shadows and the sensation of the oxygen being ripped from his lungs said otherwise. The fire's limited light seemed to blaze furiously, growing vibrant as if Atemu had made an offering of some sort, and Yugi felt his stomach clench. What could the pharaoh possibly have offered that he had not seen on the way there? There was no sacred butcher among them, or a piece of fine cattle to bleed for the god. Blood and wine were—from what he knew at least—the only ways to appease a god and ask for answers from them.

The fire died away suddenly, as did the distant rumbling of a voice, and silence fell over the temple for a long minute and a half. One of the geese honked loudly and Yugi could hear them shuffling now, Atemu speaking in a low, threatening tone that told Seth to listen or he might forget that they were family altogether. The priest was nodding with wide, terrified eyes, blue gaze seemingly engulfed with open confusion, and Yugi looked at his lover with a shaken expression.

The red eyes were neutral, impassive, without a single bit of knowledge to be gained from locking with his own. But the monarch did stop, smiling at him and gesturing him over while Seth scurried to Shiamun's side as if he had been whipped like a disobedient dog. Atemu did not move from the opening of the chamber, crooking a finger at him once more, and Yugi cast the other two an uncertain look.

"Yugi," the pharaoh stated in a low voice, a hollow ring making his spine stiffen and his head snap around as his skin grew cold with ice. " _Come_."

He knew better than to dismiss the tone in his voice, hurrying over like a dog being called for a treat of freshly cooked meat. Atemu turned on his heel as he got to his side, leading the way back into the chamber that seemed too spacious to even fit inside of the temple itself. It was almost as if they had stepped into a separate world, with far more power to be gained from just one tiny room as it had appeared from the outside.

An immense tableau stood high over their heads, at least five times their height and nearly touching the ceiling. Amun-Re sat upon his throne, with the goddess Mut standing behind him in a submissive yet overpowering posture. A second subservient goddess, Ma'at, held flowers in her right hand raised before the god, and within her left hand she held the hand of the pharaoh. Yugi blinked stupidly, eyes growing wide as his gaze snapped to the younger boy who was watching him closely, his expression nothing more than darkened red gems amidst black lashes. A single flame jumped from the bowl held within the stand on either side of the tableau, and Yugi's eyes snapped back to attention at the carving of Atemu. The pharaoh was holding two scepters that he did not recognize, one resting upon his shoulder and the other in his hand, approaching the god whose namesake had given birth to this temple. Behind the king, the god Khonsu stood, disc and crescent, the subservient of the prince. He wore a necklace, his body clad in a girdle, the one hand holding another scepter, the other designating a notch overhead where there hung a burnt out torch. A single sphinx with a head twisted into that of half ram and jackal rested in an outstretched position like that of Anubis when he was presented in the other temple as its deity, lying on its stomach with its unusual head raised.

Yugi froze in place, staring at the scene, and flinched when the torch Khonsu pointed towards suddenly lit. He gave Atemu a startled look, shaking once, and the monarch turned away immediately, jaw working to clench and unclench. The older boy startled again when he heard the flames leaping violently and a splatter of something like water hitting the floor, the sound thicker but freer all at once. He glanced around wildly, looking for the source of it, but found nothing, instead feeling power creeping over his skin like a bug. He sprang violently, jerking wildly as his head started to pound, and then froze in place as he looked at the image on the wall.

Osiris, coiled tightly in bunches of slithering muscles and spread wings, glowing yellow eyes and a beautiful blue sun disc resting in the center of the god's forehead, binding the crown of red spikes to its head. Its claws glittered in white paint, giving it an almost life-like form with the way the fire jumped forward in its place on the wall.

A violent crackling noise hit his ears and he jumped viciously, spinning around again to face the bowl that had formerly had nothing but a single flame flickering there. Now a harsh, vibrant fire roared to life, the heat rolling off of it in a way that felt almost like being held underwater and beaten by harsh currents. His head snapped towards Atemu again but the pharaoh merely turned away once more, his eyes on the floor.

Yugi almost fled again, every muscle in his body begging him to get away from the antechamber, but Atemu had brought him there for a reason, had he not? He shook for a moment, glancing over his shoulder at the exit, but turned back to the monarch with a desperation that made Atemu flinch. A guilty expression crossed the other's face, but he could already see that Atemu was not about to leave just yet, that he would not allow him to leave either.

"Just a few more minutes," the pharaoh urged, swallowing hard as Yugi trembled again and felt far too much pressure bearing down on his skin. His head was beginning to pound more vividly now, taking on a steady ache like that of a drum's skin about to tear. The older nodded spasmodically, unable to do much more with this feeling resting beneath his skin like a steady burn.

Bile burned a path up the back of his throat and he swallowed harshly just as the flames died away and darkness blanketed the chamber but for a single small bit of light from the sun through the window. Yugi nearly cried out, feeling even more trapped due to the choking darkness that engulfed him, the pressure seemingly growing tenfold. A sharp bark left his lips, startled, as a hand closed around his wrist.

"It's me," Atemu stated softly, voice laced with miserable apology. "It's me, little one. I'm going to get us out of here but you are _never_ allowed to speak of this to anyone, do you understand? Not what you saw, not even that you ever entered this chamber. You cannot whisper a word of the tableau you saw or the magic that just unfolded here, Heba. No one can know about any of this. Give me your word now or this was all for nothing."

 _All for_ …?

Yugi shook his head, blinking against the thick darkness and straining his eyes, but the light from the window seemed to be almost gone, as if the afternoon's sun had slipped away into nothingness. "I—I—You have my word, Atemu," he muttered, shaking once as the pressure started to alleviate itself. He turned his head, starting to peak around in the darkness and swallowing hard.

The hand on his wrist slipped into his own, their fingers threading together, and Atemu let out a small purr of satisfaction, his nose brushing his temple. "Thank you."

He wished he could have made out the expression on his face at that moment, concern bleeding into his own panic at the soft gratitude. What had he even meant that it would all be for nothing? Why did he even have to thank him for his word? He should have known that Yugi would do anything for him if he only asked.

He squeezed his hand, too distracted to speak, and reveled in the soft warmth the action gained him. He wondered if it was the heat or nervousness that made Atemu's hand feel so clammy, but shrugged it off, allowing himself to be led towards the exit of the chamber. The moment they stepped out, he noticed that Seth had grown back into his own icy personality, though his eyes flickered towards his cousin and he looked relieved. Yugi cast his own glance at the other boy, finding himself relieved as well to see that some of the weariness that had plagued his features formerly seemed to have faded. His eyes were still dark, a small line of red beneath both lids speaking of fatigue, and his gait seemed tired, but beyond that he looked as if a weight had been lifted.

Yugi wondered at this, still slightly shaken by what he had beheld in the chamber, head snapping around to regard the darkened space with wide eyes, and then turned away again.

* * *

 **Ma'at is the term for (and goddess of) balance which was brought about by the pharaoh keeping harmony with the gods. The pharaoh was expected to make sacrifices to the gods in order to keep them strong as one of the beliefs was that after the crops were all harvested, the gods would grow exhausted and sacrifices would be made for a month. The people would be responsible for replenishing their energy so that the cosmos would allow the next harvest to come in plentiful. Isfet was the name for chaos, brought about by the pharaoh failing to uphold Ma'at. It was said to bring about the drying of the Nile and the death of all their crops.**

 **Pharaohs were said to greet their people every day at afternoon before they went to the temple. They would approach them from their chariots with enough room so that they would not be touched by his people. In case of not having the chariot, they would have the guards there to keep them out of arms' reach. (Or so I've read, though most of them hinted towards the chariot more than anything else.)**

 **The ritual was only performed by three people—the pharaoh, the high priest, and the sacred butcher. The butcher would cut the throat of the cattle that was being offered (it was usually the finest cattle that they kept in the pens at the palace) and the priest would speak to and as the gods in order to hold a conversation between the gods and the pharaoh. The butcher would leave after the sacrifice (from what I could find anyways—could have been otherwise) and then the conversation would commence.**

 **I forgot to mention before but among the vizier's duties is to have a record of deaths and wills/testaments within their archives. So he would be the one to record it and report it to the pharaoh. So in the story Yugi and Shiamun were performing a couple of the vizier's responsibilities and so that is how Yugi knows about the butcher being found dead.**

 **Before the Middle Kingdom, viziers were considered the highest priests alongside their regular duties as archive-keeper. So they were said to have a lot more of a connection with the gods than those that followed them (viziers were also required to be royal blood until this time period but that apparently changed after a while and eventually the power of the vizier was stripped considerably as well—in the New Kingdom). Shiamun is not one of the highest priests unlike those before him, so Yugi naturally is not going to be either when he becomes vizier.**

 **Harems within other kingdoms were used for trades, which is why secondary wives were so terribly common. They would be traded to obtain truces between Egypt** **and the other kingdom so that they would have possible allies in case of war. Since Egypt** **was such a power in that time, most had mass amounts of secondary wives that would be from foreign kingdoms and those secondary wives would have some of their own harem while they lived in the palace.**

 **The temple was altered significantly for the story. There would have only been a tiny central court and a small sanctuary inside of it otherwise. So the time frame of it was changed for the story's needs. Almost all of what is mentioned in the story was made in the New Kingdom** **instead of the Middle and the entrance/first pylon would have been made in the Greco-Roman period. If you want to see a map of the timeframe in which it was established, there are several great ones on Google Images. Many of the paintings on the walls actually were recorded in registers along the walls but were distinctly altered for the story. I made the temple so that it was still being constructed in certain areas so the second and third pylons were not entirely finished but the workers were dispelled so that the ritual could take place. The seventh pylon doesn't exist in the story, but the temple of Taharqa** **does as well as the obelisk and the granite scarab, and the sacred lake of course. So, with the construction going on, there would have been a clear view of the lake, the temple, and the others.**

 **The ritual takes place in such a strange area because it was not something that would have been done in real life. And the antechamber in the story is meant to be something that no one knows about but the pharaoh as it would have only been Atemu and his family ever to use it.**

 **Hypostyle Hall was considered the "Hall of Two Crowns" which hints at the coronations happening there at times, which is why Atemu's happened there before it did at the palace.**

 **The Beautiful Feast of Opet (Opet festival) was a festival that took part in the temple of Amun-Re in which the pharaoh would go inside of the temple with his priests and they would give bread and wine and other various offerings to Amun-Re to replenish him and the cosmos and allow for a safe and bountiful harvest the next year.**

 **The ritual he did will be explained in the last chapter, as will what Atemu's been hiding from Yugi.**

 **I'll mention more of this as the story goes along (specifically [next chapter] the harem and women of the harem, Atemu growing up with the kids there, some trading, etc).**


	5. Chapter V

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Warning: Some slight cursing, small mentions of blood**

 **Update Schedule: I'm going to ATTEMPT to get the last chapter done by or ON August 9th, Next update should be for _Behind You_**

 **Some of the timeline for Yu-Gi-Oh was altered (i.e. the time that Atemu's father dies, the time that Atemu visits the tombs for that blessing from the gods, Atemu's coronation, etc) and obviously the attitude Atemu has. I just can't see him being too much of an ass and power hungry if Yugi was in his life back then, especially with the way that he spends most of his time with him in this story and did so growing up as well. And the circumstances of the story, because those have a massive impact on him as well.**

 **SOME of the roles of the hierarchy are altered somewhat, SPECIFICALLY Yugi's as a scribe/vizier-in-training, Shiamun's as the vizier, some of Atemu's, slightly the women of the harem, and some of Isis's, Mahado's and Mana's.**

 **HOPEFULLY this chapter is fully worth the wait, though I don't really have much of an excuse for the time that slipped by aside from writer's block as far as this story goes and a few real life issues. Anyways, now you learn some more about Yugi and Atemu's relationship when they were younger and some of the reasons that Yugi seems somewhat (or extremely, depending on how you look at it) isolated within the palace. You also find out a small bit about Atemu and his father and a few other small things that are hinted at but not completely told in detail.**

 **(More story information at the bottom...)**

Chapter V

"You sent for me?" Yugi asked curiously as he glanced around at the flowers of the garden, the shades of color that looked beautiful in the sunlight. He studied the slight shift of lily pads in the water, where he could see that Atemu had sat on the very edge of the stone wall's lip and run his fingers through the warmed surface. Sparkles of dancing light made him squint slightly to avoid the harsh glare they offered and he turned his head slowly towards the monarch, a small bit unnerved. His dreams had been haunted by the sight of Atemu summoning Osiris when he was six, of flames that burst to life where they had formerly been dead, but mostly of blood being spilled. His thoughts upon waking to an empty bed were that Atemu had wandered off again but he remembered immediately after that he had left the other's chambers when he had woken earlier instead, unable to stay in place. He had spent the day wandering about his chambers and working on some of his studies, reading some of the wills in the archive that Shiamun held control over, that he would later know as well as the back of his hand.

Atemu frowned slightly as he stared at the water, squinting and then raising his head to stare at him with an almost blank and hollow expression. Yugi could see the light bouncing in those dark eyes, giving them a distinctive gleam more beautiful than that of any ruby. His irises took the sparks and seemed to take on something akin the layered coloring of a sunset opal, glimmering like the eyes of a cobra but as vibrant as they always were. He had a split second where his mind supplied him once more with the image of the jackal from the trip, the golden eyes turned black, but then that darkness became brighter and took on such a divine shade that it shook him. Osiris's eyes stared back at him in his anxious mind, burning into his thoughts like embers, hot and stinging the inside of his skull violently.

And Atemu…poor, sweet Atemu, he had the depths of both of those creatures' eyes within his own. He had death and laughter that seemed to swirl within the surface, awaiting acknowledgment to take over his features. Yugi was honestly unsure of which his gaze looked like more at that moment, whether the light from the pond gave him the ethereal glow of the dragon's or if it just touched on the layers that he had known existed within the jackal's.

"I did," he stated, nodding slightly and narrowing his eyes momentarily before turning away. Yugi watched him pick at the threads of his cloak, pulling on the dark blue layer of clothing and wrapping it momentarily around his hand in a nervous gesture. The older boy hesitated for a moment and then slowly picked his way over to take a seat on the pillows with him. He wondered if Atemu had eaten already seeing as it was still rather early, with dawn just beginning to give way to more of Ra's touch. But he did not bother to ask when he himself had already gotten a basket of freshly picked grapes and pomegranate upon the servants' waking.

He had skipped out on the breakfast wine, something that, despite his life being rather contained within the palace at all times, he still had not acquired a taste for whatsoever. He knew that Atemu rarely did more than sip at it and then pour the rest out when no one was looking, though he made a show of drinking it when he had to deal with any foreign ambassadors. It was a power play, that he might have been younger than most other rulers ever could be, but that he was just as strong as they were if not much more powerful.

Atemu had no room for error when it came to impressing foreign powers. One ounce of weakness or too much arrogance could easily mean war being declared between Kemet and another power. Yugi was well aware of the thin line he had to walk, even more so the stress that it caused him at times, his red eyes sharp and always darting around as if to spot an invisible threat. He always thought he was uneasy with his ability to lead and most likely always would be when it came down to it. He had held the throne since his father's illness had come about and yet he had still remained as uneasy and jumpy every time after any meetings…

"Did you need something or is this just to talk?" he finally asked, blushing at the strange bit of frost that coated the last word and frowning when Atemu merely seemed almost resigned to the sound of it. The pharaoh did not look over as he gestured for him to take a seat next to him and he hesitated, for a moment curious as to what he could want to talk about, before shaking his head and hurrying over. It wasn't as if Atemu would not come out with it eventually if he could get him to speak his mind freely. Although, if he had invited him, then he supposed that it meant that Atemu would have an idea of what he was going to say beforehand. He had most likely thought long and hard about what words would come from his mouth before he even considered actually summoning him there.

He probably had not even fathomed the idea of truly bringing him there until he was sure of the words he had chosen. Atemu was too much of a strategist in that way, calculating constantly and gauging his reactions ahead of time when he actually had him summoned to speak to him. If he summoned him and didn't greet him happily it meant that the young monarch had things on his mind that he was hesitant to share and he would not let Yugi hear him speak them until he was sure he would not cause a fight to spring between them. So the silence at the moment was nothing new, though the situation felt strained and awkward. His dreams rose and bit at the back of his mind, begging for attention, and his stomach twisted briefly with discomfort as his body grew energetic with the need to flee.

He wasn't sure he could take a conversation between them about what had transpired the day before…

"No, I do not need anything but your ears," he replied candidly, humming softly once before turning his head to face him as he took a seat on one of the plush cushions. Hoping to disengage any of his prior notions about the conversation they were about to have, Yugi was granted a small timid smile that made him swallow hard, wondering just what it was that Atemu wished to talk about. If it was anything that had to do with the events of the day before, he would truly rather not have to hear the words he knew lingered on the monarch's tongue. Whatever had happened in that chamber could stay there, without explanation beyond the gods being pleased with Atemu having done whatever it was he had done. "And your mind open to anything I have to say…"

"You have that already," he stated simply, clearing his throat to help get rid of the nearly unperceivable squeak he thought he heard at the end of the response. He watched him closely, hoping to get rid of some of the tension in his system by seeing the familiar sight of the monarch beside him. "You always have that."

He nodded, a distracted jerk of his head that appeared almost painful as his lips pursed and his attention was diverted to the grass, his slender fingers reaching out to tug on a blade of deep green. Both of them knew that if Atemu had not had that in the first place then he surely would not have bothered with attempting to gain his audience. Curiosity peaked, Yugi leaned forward slightly, watching him keenly with sharp blue-violet eyes that made the younger boy chew his cheek before turning to him again. Their noses brushed with the movement, a simple little action that made Yugi blink in surprise and childish wonder for a split second, curious as to why this one felt somewhat heavy and strained compared to the soft touches the others always existed as.

"I suppose I do," he commented lightly, biting his lip briefly before reaching over to tug on his forelock playfully. Yugi scrunched his face up in response, gently swatting his hand aside, and Atemu pulled away to glance at the sky for a moment. His shoulders had risen slightly, clearly uncomfortable with what he was going to say, and the older boy swallowed thickly.

"If this has anything to do with what happened at the temple, I gave you my word I wasn't going to talk about it," Yugi mumbled, growing nervous and letting his tongue run without much thought. "I hope you realize I'm not going to talk to anyone about it. I don't even want to think about it anymore than I already have, Atemu. It's not—"

The pharaoh's warm palm rested over his mouth immediately, a small smirk of amusement making his eyes bright as he raised a brow and shook his head. A small glint of gold from his earring being hit by the sunlight made Yugi's eye burn for a split second, though he resisted the urge to blink rapidly at the pain. "Relax, Yugi, it has nothing to do with that," he snorted, shaking his head slowly. "Nothing at all, in fact. I actually wanted to speak to you about what happened while you and Shiamun were away. I know you saw the drawing on the wall—of my coronation inside of the temple."

He cringed and Atemu pulled his hand away slowly, the older male settling more comfortably with his legs open and crossed at the ankles which he tucked nearer to himself, assuming the position he wrote most in. The pharaoh noticed this, of course, after having seen it numerous times while Yugi would have him sit with him in his chamber while he wrote whatever it was that he was working on. Atemu knew it from conversations after he had finished as well, from when they ate together and spoke about whatever it was that plagued their minds. It was a posture that said he was listening to anything he had to say as well as being prepared to brace himself at any moment.

At the moment, however much he appreciated the sentiment, it was intimidating to actually be given such a courtesy once more. He was not entirely sure he could do this if he was given so much undivided attention, something that made him incredibly nervous and left him wanting to flinch away and withdraw into his chambers instead.

He swallowed thickly, rallying his nerve to speak, and forced his voice out to take on the form of the words he had been contemplating for hours after the ceremony at the temple.

"He died a few rises after you left. I was with him for the night when it happened," he finally muttered, turning away again and tugging a few strands of grass, frowning when they tore in his fingers. He wondered vaguely if his own death would be so easy, so softly done, like a child plucking flowers or slim fingers pulling away leaves on a tree branch. The thought made his skin crawl violently for a moment, his mind seeming to recoil for a split second before growing more focused once more. "He kept telling me to leave him but I refused, as I always did whenever he ordered me to do something. I almost wish I had left like he had instructed."

Speaking of him in past tense made the monarch flinch, eyes widening momentarily before grinding his teeth together. His father had died and so many more were going to happen…

Yugi waited a long minute before replying, chewing his cheek and licking his lips awkwardly at the thought. "I can imagine that would have been hard to do—being with him through all of that," he murmured softly.

Atemu nearly laughed out loud at the thought. No, he and his father had both made peace before he had passed, both of them resigned to the fact that it would be his last night. He might still have difficulty truly considering the fact and applying it in a conversation, but he and his father had still managed to put aside what little differences they had had. It was simply the words that he had spoken to him before he had passed.

"Yes, it was hard," he admitted after a moment, though he felt estranged for a second at the thought. It had been hard, but not for the reason of the emotional pain Yugi was thinking of. "I _saw_ them—the gods. I saw them."

"What?" Yugi asked slowly, eyes widening briefly as the words connected before shaking his head as he furrowed his brows in confusion and stared at him with an uncertainty that made Atemu's gut twist. "Atemu, what are you talking about?"

"Anubis and Osiris—I saw them when he passed. Anubis was fully jackal and he lay down on the side of his bed while Osiris stole his breath." He furrowed his brows and shook his head slightly, trying to banish the image before it could fully form. "I saw them—the jackal and the dragon. Osiris had to wrap himself around the entire bed and rise over him before slithering off into the shadows again. But Anubis stayed there the rest of the night with us, just laying there, not even closing his eyes or blinking or looking around."

The older boy frowned and shook his head for a moment, wondering if maybe Atemu had been seeing things. It was fully possible for the younger boy's imagination to have gotten out of hand when he was not completely comfortable with all of what he had witnessed. It would not be too terribly surprising for him if that was what had happened that night. Atemu had done so several times before while they were growing older. He would have moments where he was too exhausted to think straight or when he was scared and claimed that the darkness was moving or he heard a voice in his ear. Occasionally he had pointed at something and claimed there was a creature there but it would pass immediately when he told him that he could not see it.

He opened his mouth to ask him if he thought perhaps that he was not of sound mind at the moment of his father's passing but then his eyes fell upon the Puzzle. The Millennium Puzzle was said to have the magic of the darkness that existed around them, with the ability to summon monsters much grander than the creatures the other Millennium Items could call to. It was called the Puzzle of the Gods, after all, though he had always assumed that was its name through the fact of being given only to the pharaohs. He had always simply assumed that it was a symbolic name rather than something literal, but at the moment he questioned the reality of such an idea. Perhaps the Puzzle had given Atemu the gift of being able to see the two gods in the chamber with them. Maybe it was why he had heard voices or seen entities and creatures that were not there with them.

He shuddered at the thought, drawing his eyes back towards the younger boy who was still staring at the ground and had not raised his head. If Atemu could truly see all of those things, did that mean that the ritual at the temple was not something that should have happened? Had Atemu provoked the gods into doing something of his will despite not having brought offering to them?

Maybe Seth was not even needed at the temple but Atemu had brought him purely for the appearance of the gods speaking through him. Maybe it had all been so that Atemu could make his cousin feel important when he was terribly unneeded at such ceremonies. Or maybe it had been so that Atemu could show his cousin that very fact, that the high priest did not have the power that he thought he did and the pharaoh was still stronger than him even in a place that was meant to be Seth's through the right of his station in the court.

"Atemu…"

The younger boy shrugged a little, a tiny jerk of a movement that made him grimace as the pharaoh chewed his lip unhappily. "It doesn't matter," he stated briskly, narrowing his red eyes into slits. "I merely meant to tell you what happened while you were gone. Father died a few rises after you both departed. He was given the most spectacular of burials, as was his right, and I was given my coronation ceremony the day after, with only four mortal witnesses and the presence of the gods. Then we returned here to repeat the ceremony for my people to see as was necessary and expected of a king of Kemet."

Yugi cringed at the way he spoke of his responsibilities, with enough venom and hatred that he could feel it inside of his own veins, a wicked heat that burned beneath his skin in searing strokes.

"After being crowned, I was given my ceremonial banquet. Seth mentioned that perhaps I should choose a woman of the harem to make my queen and I told him…well…I said some rather unflattering things," he stated, coughing out the last couple of words and making Yugi snicker in amusement. Of course he would have. "Seth tried again to convince me to marry and I ignored him, especially when he mentioned that perhaps a trade among the neighboring nations might work best. He finally lost his patience with me and we fought over _my_ duties as the pharaoh and providing the kingdom with an heir."

He blinked slowly, seeing the way that the younger boy's eyes turned completely blank and sightless for a moment, terribly unfocused as they gazed ahead of him. Yugi wanted to say something to draw him out of it, but realized that he wasn't blind, but rather seemed to see something that he himself could not, and the moment that he would have reached over to touch his shoulder and ask him, the sight had passed. He was attentive again, eyes clear though still staring off seemingly into space.

"I told him that I would speak to Shiamun about it all before I would take his word for any semblance of authority. Isis then wished to speak to me about something that I have known all of my life and I refused yet again to marry or produce an heir. I pulled rank and they fell into line a few rises after the initial ceremony. Seth kept at his pestering and I kept saying I would speak to Shiamun and eventually, when you did not return, he put the idea in my head that you were most likely dead."

Yugi flinched but nodded when Atemu glanced at him from the corner of his eye. His expression was slightly skeptical, as if for a moment, he thought he were seeing something else or did not believe his own sight. He wondered vaguely if perhaps Atemu thought he was seeing things, if maybe he was under the impression that maybe he was nothing more than a specter sent to haunt him.

That would explain why he had stared at them so intensely upon seeing them in the throne room. And why sometimes he seemed to look at him as if he were not sure he could trust his own eyes when he thought that Yugi was too asleep to truly notice.

"So he pushed harder"—now the older boy tipped his head to the side, wondering for a split second if he would finally tell him he had been with another, though immediately he felt like cringing as he remembered the same argument before in this very garden—"and I held him off. And then you two returned…and there honestly is not much more to say about the events in the palace before then. You asked me what happened while you were gone for that lunar cycle and that is all there was."

Yugi blinked slowly once and frowned after a moment. He could tell just from his voice that he was not lying, but there was still something terribly wrong at that moment. "What about the errand you sent us on?" he finally asked, narrowing his eyes when Atemu's jaw clenched momentarily. "What purpose did it serve?"

The pharaoh stared for a long minute, opening and closing his mouth twice before narrowing his eyes into slits and shaking his head slowly. "I asked Shiamun to gain some information for me. That was all. He did as I requested and gave me news of something that I have always known."

He blinked and frowned, mind slowly coming to a decision as to what it could have been. Everyone within the palace had known that the illness that had suddenly come upon his father was not treatable. They had all known that he would die from it, that it was only a matter of time before it happened. But perhaps Atemu had thought, for the briefest of moments, that he could reverse it by sending them to see Anubis and retrieve information. Perhaps he had thought that Anubis would have an answer as to the cure that could save his father, and he had sent them because it was not something he would allow his cousin to know of.

"Oh, Atemu…"

The pharaoh blinked but did not speak again, ignoring the impulse to tell him that whatever he had come up was entirely wrong. It wasn't for Yugi to know yet, not before he was entirely sure. Nor until he was ready to tell him such a thing because it could not be said lightly and he knew Yugi would never take it well.

Soft fingers threaded into his hair, picking through the long locks nimbly with a gossamer affection, and he resisted the urge to bat his hands away in pure frustration. Yugi had come to whatever conclusion—however wrong Atemu knew it truly was—and he hated the pity in his eyes as he continued to stroke his scalp with light fingers. That expression, so soft and warm and affectionate and loving and full of pity, gave him the desire to lash out and scream angrily. It made him, for a moment, forget himself with the impulse to throw a tantrum like the brat they both knew him to be, but he remained still instead, jaw clenched forcefully. What was there to truly say as it was? What could he possibly say that would not invoke a more abundant amount of pity in Yugi?

He hated the look on his face and he would rather die than have to endure more of it. He hated the way his eyes seemed almost watery with the emotions and his cheeks looked a slight bit redder than usual. He would let Yugi concentrate on whatever truth he had threaded together in his mind, and he would settle for telling him only when he knew it was absolute. When it was as unavoidable as he knew it would be later, he would finally speak and tell him about it.

A kiss was pressed to his forehead and where he normally would have melted into the sensation with pure adoration, now he felt cold. Something was stirring in the corner of his eye. He did not have to turn his head to recognize it, however. The dragon was trailing along on its black and white belly, moving across the garden like a snake. Its small legs were folded, pressed firmly against its slender body, and its head was lowered to the grass, its wings tucked against its spiked back. The scythe blades that made up the center of the plate on its chest touched the ground. But it did nothing to disturb the earth, as if they had been tucked away and folded inside as well, and he fought off the urge to turn his head and stare openly. So many times since Yugi and Shiamun had left, since he had become the sole ruler—the very _law_ —of Kemet, he had turned his head to regard it. No matter the audience, he was the only one to see it, the only one to hear it as it stirred the air and rasped softly, its tongue flickering out to taste the wind and sample its surroundings. It was always much smaller than it had been whenever he had summoned it in a duel, and now, as he watched it from the corner of his eye, the deity seemed to only be about the size of a cheetah stretched from nose to tail tip.

Yugi trailed a path of hot kisses down his jaw, towards his neck, and his pulse jumped as it always did in welcome of the beautiful affection. A shudder ran through the monarch at the familiarity of the situation, of the older boy's touches, and the attention he was being fed made his blood feel hot in his veins. The dragon raised its head slowly, both mouths opening as two dark, forked tongues the color of the shadows traced the air, and he watched it turn and slither down a path several yards away. It was always there, never gone, and Atemu nearly threw his head back to laugh out loud at such a thought. The deity refused to leave him, watching like a guardian, devoted to him solely as he had always known he would be.

His eyelids fluttered, his body growing relaxed despite his racing mind, and teeth kneaded at the skin along his pulse point in a mannerism akin a massage. His mouth opened slightly, a purr building up in and escaping his chest moments later. He grasped at Yugi's shoulders, seeking the skin beneath his shenti to trail his hands down his back, along his spine. The older boy snickered softly against his throat, licking at his skin to trace the former trail of kisses, and his nails scraped gently over the raised knobs of his bent spine.

His eyes flickered toward the massive divine serpent-like creature, lip curling back in avid frustration even around his purr. It was merely coiled together now, back to him, wings tucked firmly against the muscles of its massive body, and it, as always, was not the least bit disturbed as he himself was. Of course the god was not disturbed, basking in the sunlight and allowing his dark red scales to glitter softly in the direct rays. They glittered in his eyes like a gem, each scale shining like the surface of the pool of water next to them. The air refracted slightly with the glare, however, and for a moment Atemu thought of open flames, dancing lithely with movements too fast to be caught by his own eyes. The god remained there, a mass of breathing scales that flexed like the sands when the wind stirred them, and he narrowed his eyes. Of course he did not move. Osiris had not a single reason to care for what the pharaoh and future vizier did behind him, though he knew the god was as well aware as he was everything that went on with him.

No, he knew everything that went on with them—the both of them. Osiris knew it all, regarding the two of them more than the others. He knew it and he hoarded it and he watched them in the form of the divine dragon he was staring upon now.

He swallowed a whimper, choking on the noise and feeling his throat tighten significantly. He knew what was going to happen soon if he could not somehow change it all. He knew and he had no way of altering it as far as he could foresee. It was a burden to have his gift, to be able to see the silent red dragon—like a rippling river current of blood and death—amongst the greenery. It looked like a mass of writhing muscle and he saw it like that of a stain of blood spilled upon lush green grass. He was a battlefield with years of well-developed carnage, the embodiment of every war and every weary thought and tired mind drifting into the darkness.

Atemu dragged the other down with him, falling back against the cushions and eliciting a small hiss of surprise from the older boy. His nails scratched small trails over his heated skin, hardly even invoking a sensation beyond phantom touch, and Yugi arched his back like a cat in approval at the attention to his flesh, purring in appreciation. The monarch snorted, smirking widely in abundant amusement, and craned his neck for him to continue kissing and licking, soft touches that he barely noticed at first but loved all the same. A hand moved to find its way under his back, nails digging into his flesh through the material of his shenti, slipping between the blue and white.

He looked as splendid at that moment as he always had, with his eyes half-shut, long lashes feathered across his gaze so that his irises took on another shade darker. Smoldering ruby red eyes gazed back at him between the narrowed lids, darkened with lust and appreciation. Yugi could revel in that familiar look of warm adoration for the rest of his life if he was only granted the chance. The sight was as familiar as the boy himself, always steady regardless of whether he held things out of his reach. He was still the same stupid, beautiful, innocent yet dangerous boy he had all but raised with slivers of guidance from his grandfather. He was the boy that had renamed him by accident, unable to say more than two syllables and shrieking them at the top of his tiny lungs to get his attention whenever he was nearby.

He was the one that only listened to him no matter the subject, unable to do the same with his actual teachers because they did not pay him the right amount of attention. He was the one that got knocked around by his cousin when he was younger because he was smaller and did not speak his mind as he did now. He was the one that claimed he hated everyone but Yugi when Seth had knocked him over. He was the one that had shyly sent a guard to retrieve him for the night of his rite of passage into manhood when his week had been up after his circumcision. He was the one that he himself had kissed in the garden and had eventually shared his passage into manhood with though the monarch had been too afraid to do more than lay with him. He was the one that had summoned Osiris from the shadows and could see gods in the areas surrounding them. He was the one that wore the Puzzle and hated his responsibilities as pharaoh even after being crowned as the ruler of Kemet.

He was Atemu, plain and simple, the beautiful boy who he loved more than anyone else and who loved with much more passion than his young body should have been able to. Atemu was his habibi.

No matter how furious he made him or how violently they fought. It didn't matter if they screamed or the younger boy threw a tantrum. He didn't care if the monarch snapped and sneered at him. For all his fire and momentary hatred and usual frustration, Yugi knew him as such and would always see him in that way. Atemu was his habibi, his little one, the monarch that he loved more than anything and anyone.

His lips pressed against his throat, the pharaoh humming so that the gentle vibration brushed over his mouth like warm fingers. He trembled softly at the touch, and a steady purr bubbled upwards, spilling out in a low whisper of " _Atemu_ " that made the younger boy echo his pleasured noise. The soft kiss of noise to his skin made him tremble once more, teeth nipping gently at his neck as Yugi trailed another small lick to his tanned skin.

" _Yugi_ …"

It came out rough but soft, a purr of his voice that made him quake once, his spine arching beneath his nails as they gently curled into his skin. Their noses brushed affectionately, Yugi tipping his head to press their lips together, breathing in the pharaoh's soft exhale. Atem shuddered, arching against his fingers, allowing Yugi more access to his back, his fingers dancing gently over his shoulders in preparation to begin undoing the cloak around his neck.

He pulled back slightly to look into his eyes, licking his lips at the familiar love and passion burning in those darkened red irises. His pupils were dilated, eyelids lowered with the feathers of his long black lashes. The monarch blinked at him slowly once, as if in momentary confusion, and Yugi barely got a second to wonder what that strange expression was all about before he shifted beneath him. His back ran lightly beneath his fingers, as if Atemu were scratching himself using the older boy's nails in an effort to make Yugi return to the task of tracing patterns on his back. He let out a pleasured purr, tipping his head back in enjoyment, and the older boy snickered as he leaned forward to press their mouths together again. He tasted of salt and grape, the touches of sweet pomegranate and mulled wine greeting him as if in an afterthought. His hand slipped away from beneath his shenti, dragging along his shoulders and making him shudder before both palms pressed against his sides, tracing paths up and down his lean flanks.

The action made him briefly think of the time that Atemu had convinced him to allow him to make love to him on the throne. He'd had to balance in his lap awkwardly, Atemu slouching backwards and hissing in discomfort with each thrust, and his hands had been forced to remain idle on his hips to hold him in place. The entire situation had been hilarious and exciting, Yugi struggling to keep his sounds of pleasure down despite Atemu's numerous snickers and whispers of caution. He still remembered the way that the pharaoh had pulled him into the kiss, spun them around and pulled him into his lap as he had taken his seat. He had been forced to straddle him as he would a horse, laughing more often than not and having to bite his shoulder to keep from cracking up because of the young boy's constant whispered complaints. It still, even to that moment in the garden, had to be the single craziest thing they had ever done together, especially with the fact that they were both well aware they should not have been out of their chambers in the first place.

He stretched beneath him, letting out a soft mewl and shuddering, demanding more attention, and Yugi snorted in amusement as he brushed their lips once more. His fingers tangled themselves in his hair, Yugi's own working to begin to loosen the loop of cloth that wrapped around his throat. He panted into his ear, sensitive to every touch he offered as Yugi had always known him to be.

His hips moved to brush against his, his spine arching more fully with the action, and Yugi grunted softly at the touch, trembling in pleasure. His fingers worked for the woven golden foil that would announce that he had found the very core of his cape's thick woolen material. Atem hissed in displeasure at the sensation and shifted his weight to help him search, craning his neck further back to allow him more access as his spine arched and their hips pressed violently together. He snarled softly, every bit of his skin on fire with desire as passion exploded in his veins and his fingers worked for the simple band of rope. He snagged it, tugging it from beneath its fold into the golden plating of his shenti, and weaseled it upwards and away from his face, throwing it over his head and smirking. Atem fell back against it, returning the smirk, and allowed him to pull it out from his beneath his body, amused when he dove into the task of pushing the cloth up his thighs.

Fire flared through him where their skin brushed and he hissed in pleasure, feeling the white shenti being pushed further upwards, the rougher sensation in contrast with how Yugi usually behaved. He was grateful that the older boy at least knew—better than he did because he tended to lose himself in the moment and the feeling of it rather than bothering to think about anything around them—to keep them clearly ready to leap to their feet if needed. Taking off clothes would require too much time and he may not have been expected for anything at the moment, but some random wanderer in his gardens was not uncommon. The vibrant splashes of color in contrast to what seemed more barren outside of the palace walls was something that many admired and loved to take sight of. The women of the harem especially loved to come amongst the greenery, because they liked to pick some of the flowers and occasionally study their reflections in the water.

Atemu had always given free reign for admirers to wander in the gardens. He hardly cared when it came down to it, just that no one entered them at night because that was when he was more likely to be there. It was well known that the palace's inhabitants could go about picking the flowers if they wanted, could even rest amongst the grass for a little while. But once Ra began to descend they were quick to go back inside, to forget whatever pleasant dreams they might have had before and return to their duties. They never so much as stepped into the pool of water, as it was considered sacred because it was the pharaoh's and so the most they did was peer at its surface.

If he was not mistaken, he remembered hearing about a little child from the harem touching the water and getting beaten for it. Atemu himself had had no idea what was happening but Yugi had come to him in a rage about it that night, not entirely accusing him of being the one to issue it but hardly saying otherwise. It had caused a small spat between them until Atemu had finally lost his temper with what was being said and his own incomprehension. He'd snarled at him to tell him what was going on and Yugi had stared blankly before awkwardly apologizing while the monarch had been frustrated. Eventually the explanation had been enough to make Atemu roll his eyes at him in annoyance and Yugi apologize again but the vizier-in-training had expected him to go to the harem and say something to speak against them getting beaten over something that innocent and Atemu had not. He, sometimes, in the back of his mind, wondered if Yugi was still upset with him about that…

Atemu shook the thought off, not about to open his mouth and question the other boy, and instead blinked slowly. Now would be the time that someone would seek him out because the gods seemed to enjoy spiting him with moments like this.

Annoyed with his own train of thought—because if he acknowledged it, it seemed to almost always happen—he positioned his hips to allow him more access to bunch the cloth up. The movement made the metal bands dig into his stomach for a moment and he wiggled his hips just enough that they pushed further upwards and towards his chest. Gentle fingers pushed his underwear up, exposing him more fully, and he squirmed at the sensation, curling his lip back in annoyance at the touch of air to his skin. Yugi snorted in amusement, grinning at him playfully, as he always did when he got impatient or huffed about the air touching his erection as he was terribly likely to most of the time. And the position of being on the bottom when they had one of their unions was something he was used to but uncomfortable with all the same, often having to ride him instead.

He liked the view he got when he was on top of him, the fact that he could easily claw his chest and Yugi had to work to bite his skin and kiss his throat. Now, however, he merely narrowed his eyes and allowed the older boy to make quick work of running a finger around the ring of muscle. He shuddered, a quick jerk of muscle due to discomfort though he was used to the sensation, and a flare of frustration coursed through him once more at the reminder of the position they rested in.

The vizier-in-training leaned over him to press their lips together just as the finger slipped inside of him and he loosed a snarl of annoyance into the other's mouth. They had both long ago gotten used to the lack of lubricant to help with the action, having found that saliva dried too quickly and water didn't have much of an effect. It took more time to attempt using them than it did them to just dry out in the meantime. It was far better that they just went as they were, as they had very nearly gotten caught too many times trying to retrieve oils or find the right amount of saliva to work. It seemed to work well enough as it was, though Atemu always found it particularly hilarious when Yugi got flustered and angry with the lack of when it was he who was resting on his back.

His teeth tugged on his lip in warning, and Atemu merely scoffed at him in dismissal. Yugi pulled back with a scowl that nearly made him laugh out just before the second finger was pressed inside of him. The monarch twitched at the sensation and then squirmed in an effort to coax him into seeking out his pleasure point, and his older lover smirked in amusement.

"You have to be the most impatient person in existence," Yugi snorted, raising a brow when Atemu huffed and angled his hips some more, trying to guide him into the action. His soft voice floated into his ears in a sensual way that left him trembling for a split second before he mewled in pleasure as excitement and anticipation slammed through him with enough force to nearly wind him altogether. His nails sunk into the other boy's back in approval and Yugi smirked at him playfully. "See? I told you I knew where it was."

He was about to scoff that they had never had such a conversation before he remembered their argument the night before he and Shimaun had left. Atemu had been so keen on spending the night with him before he left with his grandfather that he had woken him impatiently. Yugi had fumbled several times in a half-drowsy state due to a herb mixture he had been given by Isis that would help to keep him strong while they were away from the palace. At one point Atemu had gotten so impatient, unhappy and a little fearful, that he had threatened to find it himself while Yugi had told him to calm down and that he knew _exactly_ where it was.

"Hurry—"

And there it was.

The expected interruption.

Atemu furiously cursed every god in avid annoyance at the sound of the door opening partially. Yugi jerked away from him so quickly that he bit back a yelp of pain and displeasure at the sudden sensation of emptiness and being dropped against the cushions. He gave him a sharp look of irritation but scrambled to pull his clothing down to make it seem as if it had not been tampered with in the first place. The scribe quickly ran his fingers through his hair, working to suitably fix the stray strands and make it seem more as it would have normally. Atemu shook his head several times, making it fall back into place, and got to his feet, snatching up his cloak and pulling it over his head quickly. Yugi watched him closely as he quickly worked the golden-colored thread beneath the plates of metal on top of his shenti, weaving it into place.

He hurried to brush any grass blades from the dark blue material, not at all surprised when Atemu snatched it away and then threw it over his head as if to hide him from any eyes. Yugi snorted in amusement, pressing a kiss to his shoulders that made him shudder, and then quickly pulled away again. The older boy smoothed his hair back into place where the cloak had disturbed it and the younger reached over to tug on his bang, wrapping it around his pinkie before stepping back twice. The red-eyed boy pushed the metal bands back down to his waist, smoothing out the material and reaching up to pull on the thick rolls of cloth that made up his dark cape.

"It's a shame it is not as nice as your eyes," Atemu muttered softly, just loud enough for him to catch as he rolled his eyes and shook his head slightly as if annoyed with the lacking quality of his clothing.

"Sorry, habibi, but even your elegant clothing isn't as splendorous as my eyes," he teased, smirking in amusement as the other tipped his head towards him and snorted loudly at the statement.

"I could argue with you on such accounts, but it is mostly true so I think I will wisely _not_ do so."

"I'm glad to see that you are beginning to learn that my perfection cannot be mimicked," Yugi stated, laughing when Atemu gave him a dirty look and then pouted slightly.

"Yeah, well, I…whatever."

"Is that the best—?"

"Atemu—"

"You really _do_ have no sense of timing!" Yugi sniped angrily as soon as the brunet got closer, shaking his head with a frustrated expression. He could have been fucking Atemu until he was undone and his red eyes had rolled up in the back of his skull, entire body falling into oblivion supported only by his hands. But no, the high priest always had to interrupt when it came to them and their unions. It was his personal job, Yugi decided in that moment, because the gods found it humorous to tease him with moments like these. They liked to see how close they got and then tear it away so that he was left flustered and irate. "You just have no sense of knowing when you have encroached on others, do you?"

Seth took one look at them and then pinched the bridge of his nose, turning away and shaking his head in pure annoyance. "Is there not a _single_ moment when you two are _not_ about to do such a disgusting thing together?" he snapped, rolling his eyes.

"Disgusting? You need to find some pleasure in flesh, cousin," Atemu snorted dismissively, rolling his eyes and giving Yugi a sideways smirk that the older boy nearly mirrored. "The fuse went out."

"Yes, I know. I've always told you your cousin was an idiot. I'm not exactly pointing fingers but I believe it was his mother—she must have dropped him when he was born."

"I would not be surprised," the pharaoh laughed, eyes shining with adoration that made him smirk widely and his insides burst with warmth. "I would drop him as well. His face is as ugly as a shoe."

Yugi burst out laughing and shook his head, rolling his eyes. Shoes were associated with dirt and connoted impurity and an insult with a person's comparison to one was almost as offensive as it came. It was almost as bad as if someone came to Atemu's face to tell him he was no better than a commoner. "Now, _that_ , my dear pharaoh, is quite rude," he snorted, smiling at the way Atemu pretended to be shocked by his reprimand, putting a hand to his chest and batting his long lashes.

"How terribly treasonous to call your king rude! I shall have your head."

"Oh please, Atemu, _then_ who would you share the pleasure of flesh with?" he snorted, smirking as his lover considered this with wide eyes and then awkwardly raised a hand to his mouth, chewing his thumbnail.

"Well, that might be quite a predicament."

He burst out laughing at his response, the way he sounded truly troubled by the idea, the way his eyes were wide and staring at the water contemplatively.

"Oh dear. I'll have to keep you then," he announced, nodding in approval as the older boy rolled his eyes and smiled warmly. "Also, I adore your cock. It's very nice."

Seth made a strangled noise as if he had just choked on his own tongue and they both burst into laughter at his flushed face, the way he shook his head sharply and glared. They swapped mirroring smirks, not the least bit intimidated and reveling in the sight of the high priest's discomfort. Atemu waggled his brows and Yugi returned the gesture, both snickering as they turned back and proceeded to shrug helplessly.

"Yours is too. Very nice. It's an enjoyable ride."

Atemu threw his head back, laughing until tears appeared in his eyes, and Yugi gave him a wide smirk, snickering. Seth choked again, shaking his head in annoyance, and the older boy rounded on him after a long minute of laughter.

"What are you even doing here? You sought out your cousin for a reason, did you not?" he demanded curtly, raising a brow in disdain and giving his lover a sideways glance that the younger boy didn't care to acknowledge around his continuing laughter.

"Isis requested Atemu as her audience for the afternoon," he snorted dismissively, shaking his head as he looked them over with disgust. If Yugi had not known him to be among the harem so often, he would have thought that Seth had been born without a cock. He rarely even so much as glanced at others when it came down to it, but Yugi knew that he had seen him with them at times. He himself rarely ventured into it, more than satisfied with the monarch, but when he did, it was to speak to his grandfather who was often in there after the day ended. He would find Seth being massaged down with oils as if he had spent the entire day working like a slave beneath the hot sun.

Yugi scoffed loudly at the very thought, gaining himself two looks of confusion before the cousins turned to each other once more, Atemu's voice soft in annoyance. "Is that it?" he demanded. "Isis wants me? Do you know what it is she wishes to speak to me about?"

"I would suspect she just wants you to listen to the very thing you refuse to acknowledge."

The red-eyed boy's gaze turned dark and thunderous, like storm clouds had crossed through the gorgeous irises. "You will speak to me as your pharaoh, not as a child," he spat softly, narrowing his eyes and hissing low under his breath. "And you shall remain silent about such things you do not understand. You serve _me_ , Seth. Remember that, for it is _not_ the other way around."

Yugi blinked wide eyes, startled by his response and the sudden ferocity he was exerting on the other boy who quickly bowed as if he had been struck by a whip across his back. Atemu scoffed softly, turning to him now and murmuring, "Meet me in my chambers when Ra is at his highest. I wish to speak to you more."

* * *

"Atemu," he stated, dipping his head in greeting as the other turned away from where he was picking at the grapes on his platter. The monarch smiled in greeting, gesturing him forward with a fluid motion that made him realize immediately that talking would not be what was going to happen. It was clear in just the way his eyes had darkened upon meeting his that they were not meant to hold conversation rather than continue what had been interrupted earlier. He allowed him to pop the grape into his mouth, eyes flickering towards the tray for a moment before giving him a small smirk as he squished the piece of food in his teeth.

The pharaoh purred in approval at the action, already claiming authority in that moment and making it clear that he would not be deterred from the position of power with the action of their union. Yugi could only wonder what it was that Seth or Isis had had to say to him to make his attitude change so distinctly, but decided that it was not worth questioning. He could do with a good fucking as it was. He was pretty sure he had kinks in his muscles where they had not been before from all of that writing he had done under Shiamun's supervision, and he thought the position of submission might do him well to work them out. Especially with the careful attention the younger always paid him upon taking the lead position.

"Undress," Atemu instructed softly, smirking a little wider and reveling in the shiver he was given at the huskier accent of his baritone voice. Yugi licked his lips and started to pull the garment off, the monarch purring in approval as his skin was slowly but surely exposed to his darkened eyes. It was only afternoon and Yugi had a feeling that he had just gotten back from a run to the temple with Seth, but he could already tell they would be taking their time. He would guess that the rest of the day would be only for them, something that made him want to laugh with approval.

It felt like it had been too long since they had had such an amount of time to spend together. Very often they had to sneak to the other's chamber or now, he supposed, Atemu could just have him summoned there so that they could spend the night together. It was always rare that Atemu was not meeting with foreign ambassadors or holding up enough of his appearance as the pharaoh to have the afternoon as a whole and the night to add to it.

He couldn't help the excitement that shot through him as Atemu started to pull his jewelry off and put them on the small table beside the platter of food. He watched him pull the crown off, an effortless action that Yugi knew came from experience despite having only had it upon his head for a short amount of time. A month was barely enough time for him to be truly used to the piece of jewelry, knowing that it had probably gotten caught in his hair several times before. He had probably worked to figure it out before he had bothered with inviting him there at all, something that he was actually extremely grateful for in that moment. It meant less time pulling off clothing instead of making love on the bed.

Atemu ditched his own clothes immediately, not even bothering to completely pull the cloak off and—as always—getting caught in it for a second before dropping it aside. Yugi smiled in amusement at the sight of the action, the way he squirmed for a moment before kicking it aside and throwing off his shoes to join him at the bed.

The older boy frowned slightly now, curious as to his new attitude, but did nothing to argue as he went about falling back against the mattress. Atemu purred softly in a single split second recognition of his action and then lay with him, pulling him closer. Yugi watched him lick his lips, eyes roaming over his chest and further immediately, the orbs taking on a much darker hue.

Yugi grunted when he grabbed him suddenly and pulled him to roll over, straddling him with his hands splayed across his abdomen as he gave him a surprised look. Atemu smiled widely, a twist of his lips that brought with it the startling remembrance of the jackal before it had been tied up. Those cheeks had been split with the furious smile on its face, the sneer that glimmered in its eyes, its entire mouth pulled open wide to show all of its teeth. The only difference now was the passion and affection that he could still see in those darkened eyes, the way Atemu looked pleased while the jackal had known death was awaiting it.

His fingers caressed his cheek, trailing down his jaw in a long line of fire that made him quiver. He allowed him to tip his head up slightly, let him trail kisses from his collarbone to his jaw, nuzzling the skin beneath his ear once before nipping harshly. His other hand found its way to his ribcage, squeezing lightly once on his right side before tracing its way to his hip. Fingers kneaded at his flesh for a moment, gentle little movements that steadily began to gain power as Yugi remained complacent. His hand crept forward to squeeze at his cheek, short nails sinking into his skin momentarily before relieving him of the pressure to trace his tailbone.

He squirmed now, uncomfortable with the sensation and thrown off somewhat by this new game he wanted to play. It wasn't as if he truly minded it, it was just that he was unfamiliar with it all and Atemu was usually rather predictable and did not do much that concerned him without asking him for approval.

Now his head was tipped downwards, the monarch rising as close as he could to a sitting position without throwing him back before pressing their lips together. His heart pounded and he swallowed thickly as he tasted him, the familiar touch of wine and salt and pomegranate coming forth to meet him there expectantly. His lips trailed over his cheek a moment later, open-mouthed kisses finding their way to his earlobes where he chewed gently and Yugi could feel that familiar frustration building in the other. Atemu had always hated earrings, especially when he had found that Yugi had not been forced to wear them though his ears had been pierced formerly. The holes had closed up, sewn together naturally with time, and Atemu was always jealous of that, not even truly bothering to hide it from him at times.

"Habibi…"

"Ssh," he pleaded quietly, licking the shell of his ear and nuzzling the hair in front of the cartilage as his breath ghosted over his skin and made him tremble with delight. "Ssh."

His hand slid beneath his tailbone, seeking gently and making him shiver once more. His mouth found its way to his throat, nipping at his pulse point with stinging little love bites that made him tremble, and his erection brushed against his ass. He tilted his head back, exposing more of his neck, and moaned as his back arched with approval and desperation for more of the younger boy's attention.

His finger slipped inside of him and he growled with soft approval, realizing in amusement that he had missed it when Atemu had used oil to wet them. The scent of rose and lily met his nose and he moaned, the very smell driving him crazy as he licked his lips and wondered what it was that he should focus more on at the moment. His mouth worked on his throat, massaging at the skin with gentle caresses of his lips, and his finger took to opening him with gentle movements that gained his approval with soft mewls.

"I'm going to make love to you until Ra begins to rise again," the monarch purred into his ear, dragging his tongue along his pulse upwards and nipping his jaw once more. "And anyone who interrupts will have their heads taken from their bodies."

He snorted softly, knowing the threat meant nothing, and moved to trail a finger along his stomach to his chest, flattening his palm out over his heart. It fluttered, quickening in pace, and he smirked as he opened his eyes to look at it. Atemu's heart always beat so much faster when he turned his attention on him.

Red eyes glanced at him, half-closed, and he slipped his hand into hair instead, kneading at the soft flesh of his scalp and gaining a purr. His hips moved, brushing against his thigh as another finger slipped inside of him, slick with the same oil, the scent again making his thoughts spin. It was one of his favorites, something that Atemu made a point of having on hand when they were in his bedchambers doing this very thing. If they were not doing this, then he was unlikely to even have noticed it, though at times Yugi recognized it on him after being bathed.

"I love you, Heba," he murmured, voice taking on a solemn edge that made him stop short of satisfaction, even the touch to his pleasure point seeming to be lacking with the force of his words. Atemu gave him a warm look, voice low and scratching at his insides with fiery edges that made him tremble, and his free hand sought out his own, twining their fingers where they rested on his stomach. "I love you more than anything else this world and the next have to offer."

He furrowed his brows but accepted the kiss to his nose and the nuzzle to his temple, though he froze in discomfort when his third finger slipped inside of him. "Wait, wait, wait," he hissed, not at all surprised when Atemu ceased movement altogether and merely waited for direction. Yugi blinked stupidly for a moment before shaking his head slowly. "Atemu, what…what's going on exactly?"

The pharaoh gave him a somewhat incredulous look and then narrowed his eyes. "Well, I _was_ going to fuck you but you kind of interrupted," he stated with a brow raised. "I don't know what else you were expecting, but that was what I was going to do—"

"Save the cheek," Yugi snapped in annoyance, shaking his head and ignoring the way he gave him a look of disbelief at his sharp tone. "What in the name of Ra are you talking about, Atemu?"

"With what? I always say that—"

"Yes, but not like that. Since when have you _ever_ mentioned the afterlife?" he asked skeptically, shaking his head once more and narrowing his eyes. The younger boy's jaw clenched in annoyance at the question and he could see the urge to roll his eyes forming already in his mind. "Don't dismiss me, I'm serious."

"It just came out—it doesn't mean anything. I love you, you already knew that. I just said a little more than I usually do."

"That's not what just happened."

"Would you just ride my cock already?" Atemu sniped, pulling his hand away and shaking his head in annoyance. "So I said a little more than I usually do. Does it matter? Just ride me some. You said it was enjoyable in the garden this morning."

He blinked slowly, giving him a look that suggested he had just lost his mind, and narrowed his eyes, huffing in annoyance. "Atemu, I'm serious—"

"And so am I. Why must you question everything? Why can you not take a simple explanation for what it is and—?"

"Because that's not what it is!" Yugi snarled. "You're not explaining anything! You're avoiding like you always do when you get scared. What is it that you fear so much?"

The pharaoh opened his mouth to reply but Osiris moved in the corner of his eye and his attention averted for a split second. He could see him uncurling at the sound of Yugi's voice, already recognizing him, and he breathed roughly before squeezing his eyes shut and sighing angrily.

"I _have_ no other explanation for you to hear. Now, _why_ are you hesitating?" he snarled unhappily. "What in Ra's name do you need to do just to ride a cock?"

"Well, considering that it is _yours_ , I think that I might need the approval of all of Kemet because I doubt that they would approve of hearing just how little their king truly cares for them. You whore yourself out to your future vizier and refuse to give them an heir."

"Do not attempt to speak to me like I am a foolish child. I know what I am doing and you do not have all of the information to pass such judgment!" the other cried, distressed and furious enough that Yugi paused with wide eyes, staring at the way the other breathed roughly once more and shook his head in an angry jerk of a movement. "You have no understanding of what is going on…"

"Then _tell_ me," he pleaded, voice losing any bit of scorn and growing soft and encouraging. Atemu recognized that gentle tone and his heart felt heavy in his chest as they stared at each other momentarily before he tore his eyes away to stare at his shoulder as if it might hold the answers. The thought of the many times Yugi had comforted him when he was younger passed through their minds as one and the pharaoh shook off a tremble. The older boy, however, was brought a sense of soft pleasure at the thought of just how much of a difference he had seemed to make to him in those times of need. And this time would be no different, if Atemu would simply open up to him as he always had before. "Let me hear your reasoning, habibi."

He flinched at the endearment, swallowing hard and ducking his head momentarily. "I—I cannot…"

"Then how am I meant to help you?" he cried in dismay, giving him a concerned look that made the monarch lower his head and stare at the blankets around them. "Atemu, I cannot help you if you won't _tell_ me."

 _You could not help me regardless_ , he thought angrily, shaking his head sharply. "Well, maybe it is time that you stopped trying to fix my problems and look out for me as you have. I am a child no longer and you do not have to wander around looking after me. I do not require your constant attention, nor your scorn or disappointment to make my own decisions. I do not need you to watch after me any longer. I am too old and you have more important things to worry about."

"More important than _you_? What is there more important than you?" he scoffed, voice coming out scornful with a split second undertone of overbearing disdain towards the task of watching over him so constantly. He recoiled sharply, stung by his own momentary slip, the way he fell back upon his resentment from so long ago without even a thought. His heart twisted, staring at the other as Atemu's face slowly twisted into bitter annoyance.

Yugi had always tried his hardest to hide how much the task of being his guardian and watching him so often had frustrated him when they were younger. It was not that he had not enjoyed Atemu's company itself but with studies and the monarch's attitude of ignoring everyone around him more than he did listen, it had been—altogether—more stressful than even the moment in the temple. The younger boy had never been good at staying still and had always wandered and Yugi had nearly lost his wits more than once trying to find him only to have him reappear as if he had summoned him out of the air.

He had always done his best to hide his avid hatred towards the constant need to watch and keep Atemu safe. Until now, he had never let it slip the weight it had seemed to be and he had never taken into consideration that he could still hate it now even with Atemu's presence on the throne. He was rattled with the realization that he could hate the thought of having to secure the safety of the other when it was no longer a task asked of him but demanded of himself with the need to make sure he did everything to keep him safe and happy out of his love for the other. He shook once and the red-eyed monarch watched him with a broken expression that made him want to cower and hide away in shame.

"Atemu, I—"

"It doesn't matter," he interrupted briskly.

"Yes, it does! You can't just say that and—"

"I can and I _have_. I no longer wish to speak of it. Nor do I wish for your presence. Leave my chambers—"

"Atemu, no, I **—** "

" _Go_ ," he spat viciously, bristling with a growing ferocity in his eyes that made him fight away a tremble, immediately reminded once more of their sacrifice to Anubis. The damn creature would haunt him for the rest of his life, though he thought it paled in comparison to the pharaoh in front of him. He had never truly been in the line of Atemu's temper when it was about to be unleashed, the monarch always sure to try to turn any animosity growing inside of him to teasing or lashing out in verbal spats that ended amiably after they both rested. He shook pathetically as the words sent him reeling, swallowing hard at the anger directed towards him like this. "I have other things to attend to."

"Atemu, _please_ —"

The pharaoh reached out, but where it had appeared he was going to push him away, his slender fingers brushed over his cheek and collarbone gently, lingering for a moment before a small, bitter chuckle left his mouth. "I will speak with you later. But I've wasted time and that is not something I have the liberty to do. I have _much_ to do, and it does not require your presence or your assistance. Consider yourself lucky to have a day off," he sneered suddenly, shoving him away and making Yugi stumble over the side of the bed. His wide blue-violet eyes locked on the other's darkened crimson and his heart twisted at the disdain in that familiar gaze. "Go now before I summon a guard."

He shook his head stupidly, opening his mouth to speak only to be cut off once more.

"I know, it is horribly disappointing that the person I am pales in comparison to the one I am expected to be," Atemu stated quietly, lips tugging upwards into a small grin of dark amusement. "You have my dearest apologies. Now leave my chambers and do not return here unless I send for you once more."

Yugi would have stayed and tried to fight with him, but he could see his patience wearing thin and he knew Atemu was not bluffing when he said that he would summon a guard. But then, he also thought he might banish him himself, grab him around the wrist and drag him if he had to. He shook off any attempt at starting a new argument with him and instead turned his attention towards the task of redressing himself.

* * *

"Tell me you have seen my cousin!"

Yugi fell short of the step he was taking in the direction of his bedchambers. They were in the entrance hall and the light in the room seemed disturbingly harsh to his eyes. Something about the way the flames flickered set him on edge and his skin felt hot and feverish, as if he had bathed beneath the sun for hours. His head turned, his eyes growing wide as the brunet rushed towards him like a lion would a piece of prey.

He looked immensely stressed. His blue eyes were wide, the corners pinched with frustration. His lips were curled into something of a grimace. His mouth looked pulled downwards. Something like wrinkles curved along both sides of his cheeks. His hair was ruffled, with obvious signs that he had tugged and run his fingers through it several times.

His eyes flickered towards his grandfather. His mouth was tugged as well, the wrinkles more pronounced at the edges of his lips. His gaze was troubled, darkened, and he looked worn down as he approached. He was moving just as quickly as Seth beside him but he looked as if he might hunch over at any moment. Yugi looked away quickly, unable to take the picture any longer, and stared at the high priest with wide eyes.

"No, I have not seen him. He was in his chambers the last time we spoke," he said slowly, blinking and narrowing his eyes at the monarch's cousin. He tilted his head only slightly, wondering at the distressed states that both seemed to have fallen upon so suddenly. "What happened?"

"He is missing," the priest snarled in a tone that said he should have realized that upon the alarm in his voice. He shook his head angrily and then his attention snapped towards the vizier, eyes glowing with enraged hatred as he glared at him. "And you thought that he might be _useful_!"

Yugi wanted to argue but instead merely looked between the two of them. Shiamun's shoulders had fallen in stance, making him appear smaller, but abruptly they rose in response to Seth's own offensive stature. "Yes, forgive me for thinking that perhaps my grandson, your cousin's _lover_ , might have knowledge of his whereabouts," the vizier sneered dryly, ignoring the smallest boy's stare. "I seem to have forgotten that they did _not_ grow up together or that Atemu is _never_ with him more often than he is the rest of us. I must be losing my wits. The fuse must have gone out."

Normally Yugi would have loved to witness them arguing and snapping at each other. It had always been entertaining to watch under normal circumstances, and more often than not he would have let it go on until they wore themselves out. He and Atemu had often even placed wagers on who might give the best insults in their disputes, but now he shook his head angrily and gave them both disdainful glares. " _Enough_!" he spat with a cold look towards Seth when he began to open his mouth in preparation of a sneer. The brunet stiffened as if he had turned into a wild animal before his eyes, startled by his apparent disgust in their behavior. His gaze was immediately on his grandfather, the warning clear in his blazing eyes. The older Muran dipped his head as if he held more power than him and turned his attention to the floor as if it were more interesting than the very topic at hand. "This is what we are going to do, Seth, Shiamun. We are going to check on all of the places within the palace and not a single soul is to know of what has happened. As far as they know, Atemu is merely at studies or performing a ceremony at the temple. _No one_ is to know that he is not here among them. The panic would be pathetic and a hassle to deal with. Now, Seth will take the east wing, Shiamun will take the west, and I will check _all_ of the places that I can think of that he would have wandered. Do you understand me? Good. Now _go_."

He had to admit that he thoroughly enjoyed the look upon Seth's face as he hurried to take action, eyes wide as if he held a whip to his back and would beat him bloody into submission. Despite himself, the look brought a small smirk upon his face as he turned on his heel. He began to move quickly, heading immediately for the least likely place to find him within the palace. If he had run off, odds were he would pick a place that he did not expect them to look.

He continued towards the direction of the bedchambers, making his way along the path that would lead to the nursery with the hope that he would not hear any of the babies crying. It would drive him insane with annoyance if they were to shriek like dying cattle as they usually did. With Atemu missing and the way his body seemed to burn beneath his skin as it did, he did not care to hear such noise as if his head might explode from the exposure. He shook his head sharply and continued quickly, looking for the statue of Bastet before turning for the corridor there. He swallowed hard, welcoming the harem with a vicious hope that made his stomach curdle with intense disgust.

The thin curtains of glossy beige sheet glimmering like gold rested as the doors of both the entrance and the exit of the large chamber, and he was pleased to see only the children and women inside. He hesitated outside of the entrance, his hope still making his stomach burn and ache as he thought of the young monarch, desperate for his safety. His eyes flickered across the silhouettes for a moment, taking in the count of at least twenty small children and a handful of women seated about the chamber with them. They were most likely being taught for whatever place they would take later in life, be it scribe or priest or anything of the like. The girls were most likely to become concubines or seamstresses or teachers like their mothers, of course, but it was always nice for them to know more of what existed around them. He had always appreciated this, but now he shook the thought off with a roll of his eyes and pulled the thin drape aside to step into the chamber.

The women were adorned as they always were, with golden foil laced into their headbands and thin scraps of material to hide their breasts held in place by the pleated necklaces. The only reason for the bit of covering over their chests was simply for the pleasure of unwrapping the "prize" beneath as Atemu had told him the only time he had brought it up. Apparently it was for the satisfaction of the men, as if they needed more than a warm body to be pleased. Either way, he was not the least bit impressed with their dress. Rather, he raised a brow as he always had when some of them looked up at him from where they were sitting in their circle, the children in front of them peering at him with wide, curious eyes.

He was not about to ask them if they had seen Atemu. Watching their faces with the keenness of that of the gods overlooking them, he found his jaw tightening faintly. He knew that, had he come here, he would have told them not to say anything. He could have possibly threatened them with execution for denying his orders, and that was not something that Yugi wished to think about.

The harem was simply the living quarters for the women in the palace, women who were unwed and lived among the nobility with their children to whom they passed their trade along. They were, however, sought out for pleasure often times, given the task of relieving the everyday stress of any of the men among the palace that desired them. It was only such with them being unwed, as a wed woman who chose to cheat on her spouse committed a crime that ultimately could mean their death by any means. Most of the time it was public scorn and sometimes exile from a village but the rare execution due to their infidelity did happen on occasion.

If a married woman did have the idea to cheat on their spouse, then it was taken to the palace where the vizier would handle it. The vizier was considered the keeper of the peace and legal disputes came to him rather than being dealt with by Atemu or the people themselves. Yugi was very glad for this when it came down to it because he knew Atemu and the pharaoh was not one to take that kind of thing kindly. He was often thoroughly disgusted with the very idea of taking on a spouse that was not Yugi himself and he was not surprised now that he considered it that the monarch might say he would not take a wife due to him. He was by far too loyal to even truly entertain the thought of being with someone else and the vizier-in-training nearly cringed at the reminder. He was so stupid to ever even think Atemu might do such a thing, regardless of his position or the responsibilities it brought with it.

His grandfather was far more lenient. He ruled justly on such matters, often choosing not to even take into consideration the pharaoh's furious expression whenever he heard of things of the like. Shiamun would give them exile as punishment, but never death unless the woman had done more than show an adulterous tendency. Yugi knew without much thought that Atemu would have probably had them publicly scorned—and horribly so—and then stoned for it, simply because of how fiercely he felt about it all. The pharaoh seemed to be rather short-minded with the entire matter, to the point that Yugi had often wondered if it was because of him. He had only ever had the comfort of the older boy in such a way and being in love with him could have narrowed his mind in opinion on the idea of infidelity. He had often wondered if maybe that would have been different if he had just had the chance to experience one of the women of the harem.

The royal harem was that of a private one, a residence for single women of higher power only with male guards and instructors among them. It housed them as well as the king's secondary wives, their servants, and the children that they bore, some of whom would act as the wet-nurse of newborns for their first few years. It was the reason that Atemu had grown up in this chamber, taught and fed the wrong amounts of attention and affection, given doses that were far from what he truly needed. They had each been forced to act as his wet-nurse at one point or another due to his refusal to pay attention or speak to them or behave. The task was, of course, eventually passed to Yugi when he was the only one that Atemu cared to attempt to connect with. Of course he had gotten him when Atemu no longer needed to nurse and it was by far more a contract of guardianship that he had been handed over, but the task was relatively the same. He watched over him, helped him, taught him, and made sure he actually did eat at times because there were moments where he had openly and fully refused. For this task, he had been named the chief royal nurse as well as the fact that he had Atemu almost solely to himself unless he was with his parents. Because of this, he had been held in a much higher regard than the others that had attempted it. It had lasted until Atemu had grown to be five, but the title had been one he was immensely proud of regardless. It had always been rather amusing to see how everyone seemed hypnotized like snakes before a charmer whenever the two of them were seen together.

He still sometimes had fun thinking of just how badly the overseer of the royal harem had taken to being rendered practically useless as far as Atemu was concerned. He was meant to be the tutor of the royal children but had failed so drastically on every occasion where the monarch was concerned that it had been hysterical for most of them. He had not been even slightly amused when Yugi had become Atemu's sole companion for the most part. It was meant to be the task of the overseer, as many of the multiple titles, such as "master of the secrets" or "sealbearer of the king" or "sole companion", alluded. He was still rather bitter about it—and openly so despite the years—and that was something Yugi still found delight in poking fun at whenever they were in close proximity. Atemu always snorted and snickered when it was within his earshot and he would normally give his lover little smirks of amusement.

It was only when the royal family was likely to move around that he was given that back tenfold. If Atemu was bid to go with them—which thankfully had only been once in which the young monarch had needed to for the kingdom to see him—the entire royal harem had gone with them. The overseer had taken _far_ too much delight in smirking at him and leaving with Atemu and his father that time but since then the former pharaoh had been too sick to travel and his son was not one for moving around often. He knew only that time when Atemu had left the palace for more than a trip to the temple.

And now he was gone, having run off without a trace to be found of him. He nearly shook with the force of the thought, wondering at how much dread would have to have been pushed into him to do so. Atemu would never have left him behind if he was not distressed or hurt enough that he felt he needed to get away from him for a while…

Yugi took in the oldest of the women who wore a beautifully well-spun dress of golden thread. Her hair, like many of the others', was threaded with golden beads in the front, hanging on either side, but her headband was entirely that of gold with a few small stones of glistening ruby. Her wrists were adorned with the same shiny material as her headband, her long brown hair mixed with traces of the same color and given a small crown in the form of hair braided into a thin strand that wrapped around her head. Her figure was far slimmer and more eye-catching than the others could ever have hoped to boast, with hips that looked well-carved like that of an elegant statue. In her hand was a small vase that Yugi recognized after a moment as a herbal mixture and wondered if she might be teaching the art of massage. He blinked once and turned away again.

The beeswax candles were lit, a small bit of incense burning in the corner on a cross-legged stool that made the room smell heavenly and soft. The walls were decorated with small images of animals, with the goddess of joy and beauty, Hathor, and her companion Bes beneath some of the scrawling. He recognized the words as he did everything else in the chambers, and his eyes flickered towards the furthermost areas, where oils and classes were held in demonstration. The wine and beer would be held back there among the scents and incenses and edible aphrodisiacs such as pomegranates and grapes. He scanned the bright gold and beige walls, with the light traces of blue paint that looked almost like drifting smoke tendrils in their elegant design. His head snapped away again, turning towards the task of seeking out anything that appeared abnormal in the chamber.

Bright red lotus flowers decorated the floor among dark blue stone and several clay pots with long thin necks that gave him knowledge of the honey and water lying inside. He knew of the women here also treating burns when one of the nobles had their skin stung by the sun. The harem was given delicate foils of gold paint among all of the decorations by the walls' pillars. The animals and symbols etched into the alabaster stone were marked with the same touch of gold, given interlacing tendrils of glistening silver. Several large podiums stood in different areas of the room in order to give one massages and treat burns, but never for sexual interactions. There were large chambers with heavy wooden doors that rested on the side as it was, with the drapes of sheer sheet resting in front of each of them. Should the man they were giving their attention to desire more of their company, they would go there unless especially summoned to their bedchambers.

The harem was almost a completely separate living quarters amongst the palace walls, with several apartments within it. Red velvet made up a plush cushion that rested on several of the podiums, the color matching that of the crosses of dark red wood on the sides of each. He could see the little hollowed out compartments of each of the upraised stone that held some of the more specialized perfumes and oils that they would use.

He had been in this area of the palace many times when he had been free to retrieve Atemu from his teachings after his own had been finished each day. And he knew which of the rooms further back was his when he was younger, but he could already tell the monarch had not come back this way. If he had, the women would not seem so terribly surprised by his presence and the children would not have been staring at him as if he were a foreign creature altogether. They would have let it slip by now, simply by staring at him with confusion and glancing around in the direction that the pharaoh would have gone.

He shook his head when the female overseer of the harem started to speak, turning on his heel and starting out of the chamber again. The red lotus flowers seemed to dance with the beeswax candles' gentle flames and his skin felt cold as it crawled along his bones. The sight of them had always frustrated him faintly, simply because of what the chamber symbolized for his younger lover. However, now they made him want to puke with momentary distress. He had wasted time coming here, he realized now, but he could not shake the sensation that the flowers looked unusually dead and foreign at the moment. It seemed as if the intricate weavings of color that they were given to appear as if in bloom, with darker shades around the edges where they overlapped, were desperately lacking. It did not matter that the ones in the very entrance had dark green stems and golden centers and the colors were usually beautiful and mesmerizing upon first glance. The entire area now made him feel sick and frustrated him to no end. He suspected it mostly had to do with Atemu and his own jealous nature to blame for such hatred of the chamber, as he thought the room might have been beautiful otherwise.

He had his own suspicions, however, that the women of the harem had resented Atemu's silence in comparison to the loud, boisterous natures of their own needy children. He knew that Mana's own mother had treated him often as if he were but a terrible burden. It had—alongside the other women's resentment—been passed to the children as well and he had often seen squabbles and quarrels ending in bloodshed due to this. He had known even back then that the monarch had been mistreated and often ignored in favor of the other children, which had led him eventually to Yugi. All of the women had watched when the fights had broken out, often ignoring them, merely staring when Atemu got pushed around or backed away. He had a feeling, somewhere in the back of his mind—one that he often refused to admit existed in the first place—that they had all suspected that he would not live long.

His silence for so long had been something that had rattled everyone. With the inability to speak or wail, a child was not going to survive for long, and it was something that even Yugi himself admitted. It was not even a weakness, but stubbornness that had held Atemu's tongue, but at first glance, his history of quietness had been worrisome and terrible. Because of this, Seth could have been selected as the pharaoh just as easily as the red-eyed monarch himself. And the brunet never knew when to hold his tongue, so the quiet from him had seemingly never even been an option for him.

He thought that they all—possibly his parents and himself included—thought that he would have died long before he had come into the picture. Children were not meant to be as peculiarly silent in their early years as Atemu had been, and the instant thought to cross anyone's mind must have been that the gods had put him there and would take him back soon. They would look away one day and Atemu, mute and small, would be killed by some kind of animal or get himself hurt or simply wander off and never return. Others were loud and obnoxious as babies were but the pharaoh had been as silent as death aside from the occasional noise of frustration that always seemed eerily like that of a snarling jackal. He had not made much noise or done anything other than give furious little looks that had seemed far too smart for his own good and often it had made him far weaker to others. He was still constantly watched by the other nobles who studied him for any apparent slip or weakness. They hoped to find and isolate the chinks in his armor in order to make up for them in case some other political figure saw it as well.

What they did not seem to realize was that Atemu was keenly aware of what exactly it was that they were looking for. He had been forced into his role, but he had adapted as swiftly as possible. And because of that, he was always aware of what he projected and how to counter if someone else tried to show more power. He watched with a more sly approach, like a snake lingering in the sand, rather than blatantly, whenever he was amongst foreign ambassadors. If they attempted to be larger than they truly were, he would have to dance around the subject of whatever power they wanted to portray and then seize the opportunity to cut them off at the knees. He acted as lazily as if he were sun bathing, rather than making it apparent that he was watching and waiting for that single moment.

Yugi shook his head at the thought, sighing softly. Thinking about Atemu and the others' perceptions of him would not do him well in finding him. He took the exit from behind the harem and ignored the way the sun beat down on him viciously, as if trying to light his skin ablaze. The palace offered cool shelter from the harsh light, but he ignored it once more, instead narrowing his eyes as he glanced around swiftly. The area was bathed in bright white sand like the limestone they had carved into the building they called home, and he could see the soft indentations of sandals there but nothing further. That meant that, unless Atemu had taken one of the horses the long way around the palace—and he would not put it past him considering his drive to escape—then he would have passed back where he had come. He turned around to look over the prints, putting his own sandals alongside them, scowling as he stared at it. If Atemu had come this way, then he had not turned back at any point, and that meant that if he had taken a horse then he had definitely used the other way to get to the city.

He groaned as he got close to the stables. Three large, long-faced heads poked out of the walled-in pin, eyes wide and glossy with dark lashes. A face of white, another of black, and one of a deep chestnut marred by a single smoky silver smear, peered at him curiously. Yugi cursed bitterly, sparing no words, and swore at the gods as the horses watched him so blatantly. He leaned forward to look inside of the small containment and spat furiously, shaking his head as he pulled away. One of the horses stamped its feet and let out a rough noise almost akin that of a growling dog. Another let out a whistle-like breath and turned around to stomp a couple of steps. He ignored them both, wishing stupidly that the gray one was among them, watching him with those keen, black eyes. Never before had he wished to see that massive gray beast more than he did now.

The horse was one that Atemu's father had given him when he had just begun to get sick. He had been determined not to let his son learn how to ride a horse without his guidance, ignoring his failing health long enough to teach him completely. His son had clearly appreciated it though he most likely no longer thought it such a great knowledge to bear at his father's expense.

Yugi shook his head angrily, cursing loudly once more. One of the horses let out another deep whistling noise and their hoof hit the earth in a sharp thud that made him cringe. He turned on his heel to make his way back towards the garden with the horrifying and frustrating knowledge that he would find tracks there but nothing more. Atemu was long gone, especially with that horse as his mount; the gray steed was as fast as they came, far swifter than the other three left in the pin. He huffed loudly, scowling once more, and glanced towards the sun where the light burned his gaze enough to make him flinch. He cursed Ra loudly, tempted to shout it, but then lowered his head abruptly as his vision ached and seemed to blur for a split second.

He picked his way along the edge of the great building, ignoring the way his shenti felt weighted against his skin like large stones. He neglected to pay attention to the way his skin itched and crawled beneath the layer of clothing, the heat building up furiously in his veins. He could already feel beads of sweat forming on the back of his neck like rainwater caught on leaves. His stomach twisted and he had the impulse to reach up and wipe it away but pushed it aside as he continued quickly towards the garden.

Seth and Shiamun were there already, talking urgently and glaring at each other as he approached.

"Tell me you at least found him!" the priest snarled, spinning on him viciously.

Yugi shook his head. "He took his horse and he's gone," he stated simply, shrugging after a moment. _Long gone_. He wondered just how long it was that he had been missing before Seth had even noticed. The thought that the young monarch could slip out of the brunet's sight without even missing a beat was hilarious and frustrating all at once. Seth had always been keen about being able to push him around and his ability to disappear as if he had been made of smoke was not something that the high priest appreciated at all. In truth, Yugi had always loved it before that moment. He had been envious of his skill of wandering off and finding his way to him whenever he wanted. But now he hated this ability and he wanted nothing more than to find him so that he could beat him bloody.

He froze, his blood growing cold in his body, and his mouth felt dry as his head rose slightly in horror at the very idea. Oh gods, what if Atemu was hurt? What if he got himself caught by the thief king that they were all so concerned about? What if he got himself killed somehow or terribly wounded and could not find his way back to the palace? What if he somehow lost his way? What if his horse was spooked and reared up, knocking him off or trampling him by accident?

"Then we will have to send the guards after him," the priest stated, raising his head with such authority that Yugi wanted briefly to punch him in the face. He shook his head, eyes glinting like ice, and sighed loudly as if the very subject of his cousin was but a mere burden. "They'll find him easily—"

"No," he objected, voice firm and fierce enough that the brunet blinked in shock and then scowled at him. He was shaking as unsteadily as a newborn fowl, and his breathing was coming out uneven as he stood there, but he still glared at the priest and narrowed his eyes into slits. "No one will send the guards to retrieve him."

"You have no right to make that decision!" he barked, looking around so quickly that if he had blinked, he would never have noticed. He appeared faintly panicked, blue eyes flashing with something akin terror as familiar thoughts and fears seemed to cross his gaze. Yugi did not so much as blink at his objection, shaking his head instead and making sure that his voice was firm and steady as he spoke again.

"I have more right to that claim of power than you." His voice bordered on vicious when Seth opened his mouth again, and the glare that met the other boy's eyes made the brunet flinch. "And I'll assert it now, Seth. Cross me and you can be assured that you will be punished _severely_. Are we clear?"

The priest opened and closed his mouth, shocked by the statement before clenching his jaw. The vizier-in-training watched him closely, waiting for him to speak again, and narrowed his eyes into slits. When he stayed silent for a long second, he hoped it would be that simple, that perhaps that panic had been for his cousin rather than simply Kemet, but it was never that easy. Instead, the brunet spat, "I always knew you were a traitor. Our pharaoh goes missing and you do not even send for him."

"I am no traitor. Atemu means _everything_ to me! And that's exactly why we're going to give him the chance to do what he needs to. He'll be back," he stated so softly that Seth had to strain his ears to hear the statement. "As far as everyone else is concerned should they have noticed his absence, he is merely at the market. There will be no panic, Seth. Atemu will come back to us on his _own_. Cutting him off like this will do nothing but turn him against us. He's not a little child any longer. He knows how to make decisions and that will not suddenly change just because he is on his own. He can take care of himself."

* * *

The words he had spoken were true. He knew that. He knew it more than anyone else. Atemu was not a small child anymore. He was not a lost kid who knew nothing. He knew how to make decisions, no matter who might be with him or whose presence he lacked. He was smart and resourceful even if he was stubborn and hated his power. He knew what to do and how to do it. He had left for a reason and had a purpose for doing so. He knew how to take care of himself.

And yet, here Yugi was, pacing in the throne room from wall to wall and ignoring his grandfather's stare as he continued his speedy movements. He had almost knocked the wind from his lungs each time he turned on his heel to walk again. Shiamun stood a few feet away from him, plum purple eyes wide as he watched him with a frown. The vizier-in-training had worn himself thin only moments before, snarling at Seth to keep his mouth shut once more when he had entered the room to ask if there was any sign of him. Since then the brunet had been avoiding the throne room though the elder had seen him once or twice peer at them before walking away briskly. The night had passed in a pattern of watching his grandson pace frantically and seeing Seth poke his head in and flee quickly.

Yugi, however, had spent the entire time since he had found Atemu's horse missing pacing and mumbling under his breath. He had heard him curse Ra and Osiris and Horus and even Hathor and Bastet several times in frustration. And then his attention had turned to spitting at Atemu, making him the new target of all of his grievances. He had all but foamed at the mouth with anxiety and pure anger and at one point Shiamun had thought he might drop to his knees and beg that he would receive safe journey home. The only words he had managed to get out of him in terms of conversation were those of when he had briefly broken down and whimpered that he was afraid for his young monarch lover. The moment had passed immediately afterwards, however, leaving him blinking and shaking his head as the vizier-in-training returned to snarling and snapping and cursing violently under his breath.

"Yugi."

He turned his head to snap at him to grant him his wish and remain silent, but froze in place when his eyes instead found the form of Atemu. At first he nearly ran forward to hug him, overwhelmed by the heat that burst through his insides, but the feeling was quelled immediately upon further inspection. The younger boy's head was bowed slightly, eyes narrowed and focused on something in the room that neither he nor Shiamun could ever hope to catch sight of. His eyes looked darker than usual, almost haunted, but when he blinked, the gleam seemed to disappear from his gaze so that he looked fine safe for the exhaustion tugging at his form. Yugi shot forward then, nearly stumbling over himself in his haste, and panted violently when he got to his side. A tremble shot through him and Atemu blinked slowly before turning his head to fully look at him, eyes dark as they trailed over his skin for a moment. For a long minute the younger boy failed to speak, merely staring as if he did not truly recognize him, and then finally he raised his head to take on a more authoritative posture.

His attention turned from Yugi, his lips curled into a lopsided smile so small it looked almost nonexistent. "Rest, Shiamun," he stated calmly, dipping his head. "I will speak to you the next rise but not now."

The vizier frowned visibly, seeing something in him that Yugi could not quite understand in that moment, and his eyes held a gleam of pride before he nodded in turn and walked out of the hallway. The blue-violet-eyed boy watched him closely, startled by the amiable dismissal, and then turned back to him, frowning, and was given a small, timid smile.

"Meet me in my chambers later," the pharaoh murmured, voice coming out weak and exhausted as if it had taken all of his energy to address his vizier. Yugi shook at the hollow edge that underlined his tone and felt his heart crumble in his chest when Atemu lowered his head once more and started off in the direction of his chamber. He paused in the entrance of the corridor and then turned around just enough to watch him from the corner of his red eye. A minute passed and Yugi felt intense desperation bubbling inside of his veins as he stared back anxiously. That hopeless expression that made up his gaze had to have been a trick of the dim torchlight or the incense having gotten to his head, his stress having wrung him dry and allowing him to see things. The younger boy was nothing if not levelheaded and hope was something that came with his stubbornness, led by it more often than not. It was a raw determination that he never denied himself, and Yugi could not even fathom how that might have been knocked from him. The younger boy sighed loudly after a moment, still watching him, and shook his head as he tiredly murmured, "I will explain everything then."

"But you were gone—we've been searching all night," sprang to the tip of his tongue immediately. It begged for his voice to give the statement life but there was no air in his lungs as he saw how defeated and tired the other looked. A small burst of pride surged through him at the same time as his lungs felt as if they were being crushed in his ribcage. Atemu was finally facing whatever had been haunting him since before he had sent them on that errand to speak to Anubis.

* * *

 **So I looked up ancient Egyptian insults but because of the OBVIOUS reasons behind why there aren't any real sites with them to be named, I found only a few Arabic insults online. One of which was that of Yugi's statement about the fuse going out where Seth was concerned. It's an insult equivalent to someone becoming brainless and stupid, essentially one big idiot. The one about the shoes is legitimately explained, meaning that it is as said and meant to be as insulting as calling Atemu a commoner without brains.**

 **The royal wet-nurse was that of something equivalent of a surrogate mother in raising children. They raised royal children and enjoyed a high social status because of this. Some of the nurses bore the titles of the "royal nurse" or "favorite" and one such woman Senay, nurse of Amenhotep II, was given a statue showing her holding Hatshepsut as a child. She was called "Great wet-nurse of the Lady of the Two Lands" ad was buried in the Valley of the Kings. Some nurses were used to replace mothers that might have died during childbirth (which was extremely common in all social circles) but many of the noblewomen had nurses looking after their children as a matter of course. The men were also involved in education and Hatshepsut's daughter Neferure was looking after by Senemut, the royal tutor, who was the queen's confidant** **. By the Middle Kingdom, men were allowed to bear this title, which indicates that it didn't just designate only the feeding and rearing of babies but also education and teaching.**

 **The education of the pharaoh was, of course, placed into the hands of many. Much of it took place in the harem, especially when the child was still within their earlier years, but as they grew up, he would be shown the workings of government at first hand and probably also given ever growing administrative responsibilities. When the pharaoh acceded to the throne a regent was appointed to run the country in his name, in which case mothers were often chosen. Occasionally the king would decide to give his son experience in running the country by appointing them co-ruler. Whether or not they were invested with real power before the death of their predecessor, they were aware of their responsibilities from an early age. Children brought up in the company of the future pharaoh were named the "Foster Brother/Sister of the Lord of the Two Lands".**

 **When the son was put on the throne, his mother was named the "King's Mother" which she wore along with the rest of her titles. Sometimes the son would give his mother the title of "Great King's Wife" even if she had not held it when the father was alive (Thutmose III's mother, Isis, is speculated never to have been named a King's Wife).**

 **Yugi was given the role of the royal wet-nurse simply because of his relationship with Atemu. Should anyone else have been able to make him pay attention and speak, they would have just have easily taken his place as his guardian.** **Despite the way his parents might have come off, Atemu's parents did love him. A lot. It was only logical for them to worry that he might die prematurely and so they might have to prepare for such a possibility. In all reality, they would have had to look towards the future of their country before their son and as such would have watched but worried and made plans. Royal parents were generally described as loving and sympathetic to the wishes of their children. His parents were meant to come off that way (especially considering his father allowed him to continue his affair with Yugi despite knowing and possibly having the ability to separate them) but I don't think they came off that way in all actuality. Another thing was that ALL parents in Ancient Egypt feared that their children would die, and it was common knowledge that ALL second children tended to pass into death without any way of preventing it. Which is why they would have turned towards bringing Seth into the picture in case of Atemu's incapability to run the country upon reaching adulthood. They handed him over to Yugi for the most part only for the reason that Yugi was the only one that he could make Atemu connect to and Atemu refused anyone else.**

 **The knowledge of the harem is somewhat limited, as several websites and books will tell you. But the most common knowledge of it (when you do research) is that it was not the place of pleasure and adulterous affairs that many think of when the word is mentioned. It was simply the place that the women lived. ANY middle class home would have a harem, also known as a women's room, where unmarried female relatives and servants would sleep. The king's palace had similar facilities, but with a difference. The king had several palaces and so required several harems and it took appropriately large harems to keep each palace functioning properly. Each harem needed its own estate, consisting of land and peasants to produce food for everyone and enough of a surplus to pay for all of the other necessities. This system would require its own officials and administrators which would be male, who would keep it running smoothly. But there is no reason to believe that any of them were simple eunuchs. The royal harem housed single women and the pharaohs secondary wives, their servants, and children.**

 **Secondary wives could be Egyptian or they might be daughters of foreign kings sent to Egypt by their fathers as a symbol of the peace and brotherhood existing between them. The bride's father was then expected to send a generous dowry and the Egyptian king would pay them a suitable price for their new bride. While Egyptian pharaohs were expected and prepared to accept foreign brides they refused to send their own in return. If one should ask for an Egyptian princess (in which a monarch actually suggested the pharaoh send ANY beautiful woman he wished if he would simply say it was a princess as no one would know the difference), the pharaoh would refuse to even reply to the compromise. The TYPICAL royal harem was a collection of mud brick buildings inside a high mud brick wall, with homes facing and circling an open courtyard while additional buildings were used for storage and worship.**

 **HOWEVER, I read and studied up on the position of it within a palace during (I believe) the New Kingdom. Egypt had gotten divided once more and so there were two kings. And because of this, there were two palaces and two royal harems completely separate from one another. When I looked it up originally, I found a map which showed a design of the walls and the placement within the palace (due to the possibility of the other pharaoh attacking them). The walls were decorated with symbols and pictures, some of which were bright red flowers and small animals and the others of godesses such as Hathor and Bes. I can't find the file with it and I'm too lazy to search for it all over again (sorry) so I can't tell you the names of the pharaohs at war or anything but whatever. The point is still the same, that I used a couple of pictures and a page of information in order to make the royal harem's built-in area more realistic than it would have been otherwise.**

 **The community of the women and children belonging to the royal household lived in separate apartments or buildings and gained their own income. They were headed by the "Female Overseer of the Harem". From inscriptions from the Old and Middle Kingdoms, their activities were mostly related to dancing and singing, mostly in connection to funerary estate and religious performances in temples for Bes, Hathor, Horus, Onuris, and Min. The female title "[Sole] Ornament of the King" is attested as a title of honor used for princesses and women of high social status, often married to courtiers and priests. They were also considered "Ladies in Waiting" who could belong to the queen's household. Most times their social class was not indicated and it was assumed they came from lower class and were chosen because of beauty or outstanding talents like singing and dancing and were thus educated for the court.** **The term "Beautiful Ones" was applied to women within the harem that had not yet given birth. The royal guard was thus also called the "Overseer of the Beautiful Ones".**

 **In the New Kingdom, the harem's importance had increased. Women and children of high rank were taken as spoils of war were brought to Egypt to live in the harem. Diplomatic marriages became more frequently arranged to guarantee peace. Like the royal household and temples, it received regular revenue from taxes of the city and when the harem was traveling, supplies were provided by the local mayors in cities it passed through. The harem owned agricultural land, cattle, and manufacturing workshops such as mills and weaving centers. It is believed that fabrics for the entire royal household were produced in the weaving workshops of the harem. Foreign women, especially Syrians, were also there because their weaving was in great demand on account of its magnificent colors and patterns.**

 **The highest administrative official was "Overseer of the Royal Harem". He held a position of exceptional trust, as demonstrated by additional titles that indicated special proximity to the king, called "Master of the Secrets", "Sealbearer of the King", and "Sole Companion". In Middle and New Kingdoms he was also given the title "Tutor of the Royal Children". He had access to the harem and may also have been the overseer of the queen's household. Next in rank was the "Deputy of the Household of the Harem". They were also called the "Scribes of the Household of the Harem" and "Scribes of the Treasury of the Household of the Harem". A frequent title in the New Kingdom was "Inspector of the Harem". The gates of the harem were guarded by the "Doorkeepers of the King's Harem". These guards were monitors who ran ahead of the king and queen at public appearances and were dedicated to clearing the way and keeping the crowd at proper distance. So, for the public appearance that Atemu was present for, the order of their appearance would have been his father, mother, and then himself. The overseer, inspectors, and guards would be carrying Atemu and the harem would hold fans in their hands.**

 **Hathor was the goddess symbolizing joy, feminine love, and motherhood, and Bes the protector of households, mothers, children, and childbirth.**


	6. Chapter VI

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything relating to Yu-Gi-Oh**

 **Warning: Some slight cursing, small mentions of blood**

 **Update Schedule: No more updates. Because I'm FINALLY DONE with this story. Two years later. I am terrible. Consecutive updates and writing are apparently not for me anymore.**

 **Some of the timeline for Yu-Gi-Oh was altered (i.e. the time that Atemu's father dies, the time that Atemu visits the tombs for that blessing from the gods, Atemu's coronation, etc) and obviously the attitude Atemu has. I just can't see him being too much of an ass and power hungry if Yugi was in his life back then, especially with the way that he spends most of his time with him in this story and did so growing up as well. And the circumstances of the story, because those have a massive impact on him as well.**

 **SOME of the roles of the hierarchy are altered somewhat, SPECIFICALLY Yugi's as a scribe/vizier-in-training, Shiamun's as the vizier, some of Atemu's, slightly the women of the harem, and some of Isis's, Mahado's and Mana's.**

 **HOPEFULLY this chapter is fully worth the wait, though I don't really have much of an excuse for the time that slipped by aside from writer's block as far as this story goes and a few real life issues. Anyways, now you learn some more about Yugi and Atemu's relationship when they were younger and some of the reasons that Yugi seems somewhat (or extremely, depending on how you look at it) isolated within the palace. You also find out a small bit about Atemu and his father and a few other small things that are hinted at but not completely told in detail.**

 **(More story information at the bottom...)**

 **I wanted to put another note up here but it seemed like it would completely ruin the chapter if I did put it up here. So it's at the bottom. Have fun with the last chapter...**

 **Also, SURPRISE Echo! I totally got all six of them edited and posted. I kind of doubt you're surprised by it, considering, but pretend for me :P**

* * *

Chapter VI

Yugi had slipped into his chambers only a little while after Atemu had returned. The night before had been frantic, bordering on hysterics, and he was exhausted as he picked his way down the hallway. He had started first for his own chamber and then he had slowly but surely found himself picking a new path. He had wound up in front of the young monarch's doorway, poking his head in first before glancing around. At first he could not see Atemu and the panic returned in a harsh punch that nearly sent him reeling. However, when he turned his attention fully upon the room, he found him a few feet away, his hair just barely noticeable above the line of the mattress.

At first he could not tell what he was doing, and then he exhaled in relief when he heard a gentle but strong, distinct purring noise. The she-cat, little Bastet, was missing from her small bed in the corner where she always rested unless she was with the new pharaoh. Her purrs were loud and deep, affectionate in such degrees that it made him smile faintly, and he could imagine Atemu grinning at her and rubbing her belly like he would his dog which he realized must not have been far behind.

"Atemu."

His voice caused the canine to leap from the other side of the bed. Yugi flinched violently and then rolled his eyes when the dog snarled angrily and then wagged its tail, tongue lolling sloppily from the side of its mouth. The canine was one big, slobbering moron, with bright brown eyes and a glistening silver-gray coat with tawny underneath. Its ears were pricked and wide atop its head, its muzzle long and narrow, and Yugi had always thought it looked more jackal than dog.

For a moment the monarch didn't respond and then he poked his head up from behind the mattress, blinking at him in surprise. "I said later," he commented quietly, voice edged with a sad exhaustion, and Yugi frowned but shook his head.

"It can wait," he muttered. "I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

"Oh." He sounded almost dubious before he turned away again and the dog on the bed took a seat, a long, thin tail with an almost plumy array of hair wrapping itself around its paws. He was panting, lazy and excited, and both of their calm demeanors made him even more relaxed as his ears flicked. For a moment the pharaoh did not respond nor move to look at him again, and then he heard him shift his position. The cat mewled in protest but allowed him to pick her up as he plopped back on the mattress next to the dog's hip. "I'm okay."

"I can see that," he muttered, voice strained as he looked him over. Yugi wanted more than anything to squeeze his eyes shut and sigh in relief or burst into tears at the sight that greeted him. His beautiful skin was unmarred, not a single hair in disarray, and he looked perfectly fine. There was only a tired, exhausted light to his eyes which seemed shaded by his long lashes, as he continued watching the cat he had set in his lap.

Bastet immediately rolled over on her back, and the dog fell onto his belly with a loud lick of his lips. Yugi smiled faintly at the sight, walking a little further into the room, and Atemu merely gave him a small nod to allow him further passage. The vizier-in-training paused for only a moment before heading over to the bed, taking a spot next to the dog and his younger lover. Immediately the cold nose was pressed into his cheek, and a soft tongue ran along his chin and upwards.

"Hey, Wepwawet," he greeted, reaching over to stroke the bottom of his chin. The canine craned his neck and pressed the cold nose firmly into his cheek, breathing hotly against his skin and making him snicker in amusement. The dog was one that loved to touch and be touched, always jumping onto the bed and refusing to move until he was petted. More often than not he was there at night or during the early hours, sometimes sleeping with Atemu but other times among the other hunting dogs. Yugi had always enjoyed petting him—far more than the cat, in fact, because she always gave him a strange look and didn't exactly purr at him. Rather she simply stayed quiet and allowed him to continue to touch her, showing almost no amount of affection or approval as she did for the monarch.

Atemu blinked and turned to him abruptly. "Did you just call him Anubis?" he asked, his voice coming out tight and nearly choked, eyes wide as he gave him something of a horrified look.

"What? No, I said his name," Yugi replied in confusion, blinking before looking him over. He wanted to ask what was going on, why his skin had grown so pale, but turned away from the idea instead. He would tell him later. He had said he would and Atemu was nothing if not a pharaoh of his word. "Wepwawet."

"Oh." He blinked and turned away again, attention solely on the cat again. Bastet was pulled into his lap more firmly, and the she-cat hissed softly in discomfort but allowed him to do so. Most of the cats among the palace were vicious and hissed whenever someone pet them, and Bastet would do so angrily enough to scare people away from her. However, she, like many others, seemed to bow down to Atemu's will when he wished to pet her. "Okay."

The vizier-in-training stared at him for a long moment, unsure of whether he should say something more or remain silent. The idea that he had confused his own dog's name with that of the god of death did not bode well in his mind. He guessed, if he was desperate enough to make it all better in his own mind, he might have been able to draw on the fact that the jackal and the wolf were very similar. But the name Anubis was so far from Wepwawet that he could not take that without wishing to ask an explanation.

He clenched his jaw for a moment, flattening his tongue against the roof of his mouth. There wasn't any reason to say anything to him now. He would tell him the next rise, as he had promised him. If he pushed him so soon, and so clearly after he had said he would explain later, he risked both alienating him and forcing him to withdraw further into himself. And that was something Yugi would not allow to happen any more than it already had. It was hard enough feeling as if he needed to be close to him and finding that there was a river large enough between them that it rivaled the Nile in depth.

He flinched at the thought and looked at the other boy, startled when Atemu abruptly turned his head to face him as if he had spoken his name. The gleam in his eyes was expectant and somewhat dark, as if he was biting away a harsh remark, and Yugi almost questioned if he truly had spoken. But his tongue was still pressed against the roof of his mouth and his jaw too harshly clenched at the moment to allow him to breathe a single word.

"Well?" the pharaoh pressed harshly enough to make his stomach clench, eyes widening in surprise. It took him a moment to realize that the she-cat had abandoned them to their own conversation, something that made his eyes snap towards the corner of the chamber. She was lying in her soft downy pillow bed, watching with glowing green-specked yellow eyes that made his skin crawl momentarily. But even this unease was welcome to facing his lover's growing impatient expression.

It felt as if Ra would have made his passage through the sky before he finally managed to unhinge his jaw and pull his tongue into place once more. With all of the grace of a newborn fawn with a broken leg, the vizier-in-training breathed out a weak, "Well what, Atemu?"

For a moment the other boy was quiet and then he snapped his fingers. The sound was so loud that he flinched as it echoed against the walls around them, bouncing from one place to the next in his skull where it continued to resonate for what felt like forever. Beside them, Wepwawet was immediately on his paws again, ears flat against his head and lowering his jaw until it nearly touched the mattress. He did not shake as some of the other hunting dogs did, instead simply slinking away as if the life had been sapped from his limbs and he was too exhausted to walk as regally as he usual did. Yugi listened to his claws as they made hollow, hideous clicking noises that made him cringe and grimace, and drew a large breath into tightened lungs.

"Are you really not going to ask me?" the monarch inquired, voice bordering a low and vicious snarl. His eyes flashed like bright flames when the candles' lights flickered and danced across his irises more fully. His head was turned over his shoulder, studying him with a condescending expression that could easily have been regarded as a sneer, and his eyes burned with the intensity of the power he had witnessed within the temple that morning. A groan threatened to escape him, nausea creeping over him at the very thought, and his heart pounded heavily in his throat. "I know you want to."

Of course he did. Could anyone blame him?

He shook his head, voice coming out in a croak, "You said you would tell me later."

"But won't you badger me, Heba?" he snapped coldly, twisting abruptly with enough speed to rival a striking snake. Had he not been excruciatingly aware of just how much this conversation might border on hostility, he would have not even noticed the use of his true name. Another small groan began in his lungs but smothered itself in his throat. The monarch moved forward the smallest of inches and the space between them seemed to grow desperately weighted, bearing down on him so heavily that he felt he was straining to breathe properly.

For a moment there was nothing he could even think to say, mind a blur with the pressure that seemed to have encompassed his body so abruptly. He squeezed his eyes shut, unable to so much as shake his head, and felt as if his lungs might twist and close forever in his chest. He wished Wepwawet was still beside him so that he could touch his fur and find some kind of familiarity, but nothing seemed to make any sense to him.

He clutched at the sheets tightly, knowing his grip made the knuckles of his hand bone white, and breathed in so raggedly that it sounded as if he were panting after a season beneath the sun. "No," he managed to get out, a groan so soft that it seemed almost as if he might choke on the edges of it. There was a bitter taste that swirled in his mouth, burning along his throat, but his stomach did not heave. "No."

He yelped as he was thrown onto his back on the mattress. The wood let out a harsh creak at the impact and he was further winded, unable to so much as breathe properly for a moment. A weight had settled firmly on his chest, pushing violently on his ribs, and he trembled but could not move beyond it. Behind his eyelids, the world was lurching, his head feeling light and yet heavy all at once. He swallowed painfully and the ache in the back of his throat grew fierce and hideous.

" _Relax_ …"

Was that even Atemu's voice? Yugi couldn't tell anymore, feeling as if he were drifting and unable to grasp at anything anymore.

* * *

When he woke again, Atemu was asleep next to him, but his position seemed awkward, and it took Yugi a moment to realize what was wrong. His arms were wrapped loosely by the sheets, not embracing him as they always did when they shared the same bed. They were pulled towards himself, his face troubled even in his sleep, and his eyes were moving behind his lids. The older boy was tempted to reach over, possibly to offer him comfort in his distressed state, or to wake him and wonder what had happened. The night was something of a pitch black hole, void of any and everything, a pit so bottomless it was terrifying to think about.

But really he felt invigorated, as if the blackness had somehow bestowed him some kind of new and powerful energy. His usual grogginess was nowhere to be found even as he blinked several times and waited for the feeling of heaviness that accompanied every morning. He sat up, stretching his limbs and fighting back a noise of approval at the way his bones popped briefly and his body seemed to thrum with energy.

"Feeling better?"

He blinked and looked over, frowning briefly. "Was I ill?" he muttered.

The monarch failed to open his eyes, instead pulling his arms and, thus the sheets, closer to his face. His legs moved, bunching upwards, and he buried his face further into the pillow beneath his head, grunting first before mumbling, "You fainted. I almost sent for Isis but then I remembered…"

The way he fell silent so abruptly made his spine tense. He felt his lips twisting further into a pronounced grimace, and his mind leaped with a wave of explanations that he knew did not match. "Remembered what?" he finally asked, voice cracking with nerves, the sound of it just enough to make the other boy open his visible eye into a slit and peer at him through his lashes. The silence stretched longer, the young monarch merely watching before even that miniscule sliver was shut away again. He did not move safe his even breathing, and, if not for the fact that he knew the positions the other slept it, he might have thought he was fast asleep once more.

"Remembered what, Atemu?" he repeated, growing more anxious as the time slipped by. He was urged to press a hand into his shoulder, lightly attempt to pry him to attention, but the younger would not have boded well. His first instinct was always to lash out when it came to someone touching that spot, because it was most often there that Seth had grabbed him before attacking him when they were children. And, unless he was facing someone completely, he might not even realize they were there until he had hit them hard enough to draw blood. While he knew that Atemu would recognize it was him, as he was the only one to share his bed, he wasn't willing to risk him thinking about those days or even forcing him to withdraw further. "Atemu…?"

The younger boy grunted softly and then forced his face further into the pillow, twisting away from him to lie with his back to him. "Nothing that you are allowed to know," he finally answered, yawning and moving to stretch his arms before growing still. Yugi watched him, a small bit amused and bitterly satisfied, as he struggled to unwrap his arms and then seemed to realize the problem. He would have to twist around and face him if he wanted to remove his arms from the sheets, and the vizier-in-training had an idea that he was scared to do it.

"Nothing I am allowed to know," he muttered, voice laced with a bitterness that coated his tongue as he watched his younger lover refuse to turn back to him. "I wonder why that is."

He was silent for a moment and then he rolled over, the movement so fast that Yugi startled, nearly falling backwards off the bed altogether. He breathed in harshly, rolling his eyes, but froze when he saw the other pulling his arms out and sitting up. His head was bent, but his eyes were still noticeable though aimed downwards, his hair blocking much of the light that should have touched them. His long lashes helped to further shield his vibrant irises, giving them a darker shade, but it was not enough.

The older boy was held in place, horrified and confused, as he studied the color there. He blinked, hoping maybe it was a trick, but the paleness did not leave them. They looked cold and washed out, like someone might have taken a sheer white curtain and placed it over his irises, the colors bleeding together and giving it a hideous effect. They did not even seem as if they were his own anymore, disgusting to look at as his mind slowly trickled towards the idea of some of the elders he had seen in the neighboring villages while on his trip with Shiamun. A couple of them had held mirroring paleness in their eyes, a sign of their oncoming blindness, and the ones that had been rendered completely sightless had had gazes of pure white like fresh milk. The pupils had become nothing more than a disgusting circle a shade deeper than the rest, and the veins had been nearly washed out as if the white were all-encompassing.

"W-what happened to your…?"

Atemu blinked and frowned, glancing at him from the corner of his eye but not raising nor turning his head. It was obvious he had expected something of this degree to happen, and his expression was of cold disinterest as he regarded him for a moment. "Something that you are not allowed to know," he repeated quietly, settling further onto his haunches and then falling back to gaze up at the calendar above his bed. For the smallest second Yugi thought he looked embittered and furious, as if he might lash out violently, but then he blinked and the expression was gone.

"B-but they're so…pale…"

"They will be fine by the time I must go give offerings," he said dismissively. Yugi frowned at him openly, unable to stop himself, and leaned forward, bracing his weight on the other side of him. It was a well-tested attempt that always gave him good results formerly. Atemu was not surprised this way, so when he opened his eyes to look up at him again, he wouldn't try to push him away in confusion and momentary shock. The monarch hated being caught off guard far too much to allow anyone to lean over him like that without the possibility of an eye being scratched out when he reacted uneasily.

Now the younger boy was staring up at him without blinking, frowning only slightly as a brow rose. The elder leaned more fully over him, moving just enough to draw his hips closer but not to straddle him as he was immediately tempted to do. He bit his lip, unable to hide his unease, and breathed out slowly as he studied him. The candles were still burning, he realized, as the light flickered for a brief second. With a glance towards the wall, the window there allowed him to see the stars still burning in the sky, beautiful and glorious as always. How little had they slept?

He furrowed his brows and frowned at the younger boy, unsure of what more to do with himself. On average nights, he could use the moon as a way of telling the time and knowing the hours until Ra began to rise again, but his confusion swamped this idea entirely. His mind was still more focused on the horror that was his lover's eyes, so drained of color and disgustingly mirroring the village elders'. He shuddered at the thought, the brief image which passed through them, and nearly flinched away from the other boy altogether.

"You were faint for only a couple of hours," Atemu mumbled, answering the unspoken question and hesitantly reaching out to touch his ribcage with gossamer fingers. The skin shuddered under his touch, as if repulsed, and he was tempted to pull his hand away, but a strange touch of bitterness and growing resentment kept it there. His stomach twisted painfully and an immediate remorse coursed through him, reminding him that this was Yugi, his lover, his guardian…but it did not quell his frustration. He blinked, feeling sickened for a moment, and dropped his hand away without further thought.

"Oh…"

He was unable to determine if his response was to his statement or to the fact that he had pulled away like this. It was unconscious, his reaction, but he could not fight away the momentary glee that came with his fingers no longer touching him. He was disgusted by his own emotion, but it had been as if he were no more than a stranger for that brief second. His fingers had been cold and odd, unfamiliar to the point that he had nearly recoiled at the slightest hint of them there. He felt he might have more in common with a branch scratching his side than he did his own lover's hands.

He shuddered at the thought, impulsive in his first instinct to bury his face in Atemu's neck and breathe him in, but the idea was sickening to him, and so he remained still, leaning over him and unable to do more than stare blankly. The younger boy seemed to have gotten a similar reaction because he made no move to try to touch him again, nor to even consider looking at him any longer. His eyes were focused past his head, staring at the painting there, ignoring him as if he were nothing more than a blotch in his vision.

Immediately he tossed his head to the side, flinching at his own reaction, voice coming out harsh and panicked as he demanded, "Y-you're not blind—a-are you?"

Atemu blinked slowly, narrowing his gaze into slits, and then tipped his head towards him, for a moment frozen in place before crossly snapping, "Of course not! I offered many things, but that was never one of them."

 _Offered many things_? His mind broke into a canter, racing with the speed of the gray horse the monarch had stolen and ridden away on. He wished he could chase the wind, ride it like the large animal, and spring away with thoughts towards only the future and never the past.

"What kind of things did you offer?" he finally mumbled, startled at hearing his own voice giving birth to such words. It was one of the furthest things from his mind, in all reality, as his thoughts were still racing at top speed, none of them slowing even the faintest.

The younger boy was quiet for a moment, then sighed softly. "I offered any possibility of a firstborn child, my kingdom, my throne, the best of the meat we have, the grain, the life of any in the palace…I offered so much…" He trailed off for the briefest of seconds and then clenched his eyes shut. "The horse, Wepwawet, Bastet, sacrifices, things that…were never mine to offer but that I knew I could force surrender of as the pharaoh."

Yugi hesitated. "Why not your eyesight?"

"I…"

It took what felt like an eternity for him to finally continue, and by then he almost wondered if perhaps he had fallen asleep. He was so still beneath him, eyes closed and relaxed, his body free of any tension.

"I never offered my senses. I…couldn't bear to do so…" He blinked and the way the flames lit his eyes made him feel queasy for their paleness but empowered by the raw strength in them. "I couldn't live with the idea that I would never see you…or feel you…or smell you… _taste_ you…and what would I do if I could never hear your voice again? Some pharaoh I would be…"

He shifted uncomfortably, warmed by the confession, the way his voice was so soft and wistful, but still unable to look beyond that hindrance to his eyes. "What did you end up giving then?"

"…Later, Yugi."

His first instinct was to snap at him to tell him then, that they should have the air cleared before everyone else woke. It was also to kiss him and remind him that he was always there to help him. Then there was the other which was to embrace him tightly and pepper his skin with soft open-mouth kisses and give him gentle promises in his ears to make him tremble. But they all amounted to nothing as he realized, stomach heavy with horror towards his own inability, that he could not do it without the hideous fear that he might look into his eyes and see a stranger there staring back.

* * *

"I think I am blessed."

Yugi blinked wide eyes at the quiet comment, turning his head and raising a brow in question. "Blessed?" he echoed softly, frowning faintly. Normally Atemu would say something more along the lines of being cursed before he would ever even hint towards a blessing of any kind.

"To have chosen a partner with such patience…if that's what it is," Atemu mumbled, staring at the wall again with a nearly sightless expression to his gaze. The paleness of his irises had vanished, the color vibrant and commanding once more, but so laden with emotions that it was impossible to tell them all apart. He had spent the better part of their awakening attempting to do just that and had failed every chance he had been given. "Your willingness to forgive may be the only way I have a chance."

"A chance…at what?"

For a moment the pharaoh was silent and then his arms moved, wrapping around his stomach as his red eyes grew lidded with a faraway expression. "A chance of…" He trailed off and then shook his head before looking towards him for a moment. His mouth opened and closed once, searching for the words, and then he tilted his head, eyes growing softer but apparent with something heavy and dark in the back of his mind. "A chance that maybe you will be able to forgive me for what I'm going to do."

"What are you…?"

The younger boy gave him a small smile, turning away again and drawing his knees to his chest to lay his chin on them. For a moment his arms remained wrapped around his stomach and then finally moved to embrace his legs.

"You look so tired…"

"Somewhat."

"Perhaps you should sleep some more…"

He shook his head.

"Why not?"

"I do not wish to sleep."

"But—"

"I would rather do anything than sleep."

"Atemu, habibi…whatever it is…I'll forgive you for it…"

"You should rest yourself, Yugi. Please…go to sleep, little one." He glanced at him sideways, eyes darkening faintly with something that looked almost like disdain or maybe intense melancholy. "You did not sleep well."

He nearly flinched at the statement, knowing all too well that his younger lover had to have woken every time he twitched in his sleep uncomfortably. And some hours, he had woken and could not sleep further, heavily tempted to redress and slink off to his own chambers and rest there but unable to do more than tremble briefly at the idea of waking his partner and having to think of his eyes. He had been haunted endlessly throughout the night by them, terrified in his dreams by the sight of them, worried that he was lying and the gods were rendering him blind. But then he would wonder; what could he have found so precious that he would have offered something to the gods? There were so few things excluding himself and his grandfather and his two pets that he could not find a single answer. He knew, if anything, it would have been him that would have forced his hand—something to do with him would have made him pledge an exchange with the gods. But he could not think of a single thing they might have challenged the monarch with in order to make him do that.

"I don't think you did either."

"I do not wish to sleep."

He frowned, staring at him, unable to shake the heaviness of that statement from his mind. It cloaked his thoughts for what felt like forever, his mouth opening and closing once as if with objection before he shook his head at himself. There was nothing he could say to make Atemu sleep if he did not want to, and he was not sure if he could truly ask him to rest when he looked so worn and weak at the very thought of it. He appeared so fragile, as if he might break, and it was horrifying just to have that cross his mind as the monarch studied him with a guarded expression.

"Are you…are you okay? I…"

"I am fine. I will _be_ fine," he amended, frowning at him and shrugging. "I guess this is the burden of the pharaoh, as always placed upon my shoulders. Go to sleep, Yugi. I will send for you when I am ready to explain."

He didn't want to leave him, but his tone made room for no argument. He would just as easily argue with him as he would ignore him, treat him as nothing more than one of his vases or the cat in the corner. It should have been offensive, as it would have formerly, but now he could do nothing more than dip his head in a respectful submission and bite his tongue.

"Okay."

* * *

When he woke next Yugi could not fight away the fear that his younger lover was still upset with him, that he might completely forego the idea of explanation. The vizier-in-training was tangled in the sheets, the cotton twisted painfully around his skin so tightly as if to suffocate him. The threads were soaked, cold and clammy to the touch, and he swallowed hard as he looked at the way the cloth was caught beneath his back and sides. Around his leg some of it was wrapped so tightly he thought of a snake winding around its prey after the first strike of its teeth.

Flustered, he moved his legs just enough to disengage some of the harder knots of material, then huffed as he began to pull gently at some of the sweat-laden sheets. It took him several tries to finally untangle himself to his satisfaction, just enough to grow uncomfortable beneath them. But he didn't want to get up and have to face anything at the moment. His dreams had been haunted by the colorless white of his eyes that night. And then by the jackal snarling in his ears and eventually Osiris breathing out in low hisses…

Yugi shook his head to scatter the thoughts, biting his lip and frowning as he looked about himself for a moment. He was still exhausted, though not to the point of wishing to remain in his bed with those thoughts and returning memories. He hated himself for his cowardice as he got up as quickly as possible and made to pull his clean shenti on. No doubt Atemu had sent servants to place them within his bedchamber for him to change into.

He was almost disconcerted by the thought. He had the faintest desire that he could have woken at his side, even if it meant sneaking off or having to suffer through another bath with him and the servants. It was startling to him just how much his thoughts had changed in only the span of several rises. Formerly he would have jumped at the chance to wake at his side, to see him groggily blink and then look at him with an expression of confusion that would quickly mold into one of such affection and warmth that it would make his insides molten with satisfaction. He would never have truly minded the idea of having to bathe with him beforehand, though that had also been because, formerly, Atemu had not been the pharaoh.

He bit his lip hard, going about his morning routine without much consideration. He still could not shake the sight of the jackal in his mind, cheeks stretched, jaws opened, teeth gleaming, eyes glowing with hatred and laughter, the gold encompassed by the fathomless darkness of its pupils. He shuddered every moment the picture passed his mind, but trembled when he saw Osiris almost immediately afterwards. The god would be coiled up tightly, leaning towards him, eyes without pupils boring into him, the crest of its mighty crown rising like rigid thorns, the two jaws opened only faintly so that its two blue-black tongues forked outwards as if to taste the air in front of it. The coils of its body would be bright red like fallen blood, with the smallest hints of black and white to show its scaled belly. And its feet would be hidden behind the immensity of its jaw, its wings raised over its long body, spread outwards as if to encompass the sun, the spikes of bone pushed outwards and disjointed appearing to him with such sharpness as the points of blades.

He bit his lip as he made his way quickly out of his bedchamber towards the throne room. It would do him well to have a task to focus on, even if it was Atemu bestowing it. Or maybe he would run into his grandfather and he might give him something to do instead. Either way, something had to give in his tired mind. Whether it was his own mind eventually failing him or a diversion that suited his capabilities, he did not care, just as long as he was not forced to endure the sight of those images anymore.

He was within the entrance of the throne room when he heard a voice, spitting with ferocity, that he at first did not recognize. The fury behind the tone made him startle, his mouth growing dry in surprise, and he quickened his pace as the words began to take form and meaning in his exhausted mind.

"You should never have been made pharaoh! You do not deserve such power! You are so mindless as to even refuse to take a queen! That is your responsibility! We should never have even gone about _crowning_ you! We should have _forced_ you to wed, as every pharaoh before you was! We should have held the throne out of reach of your greedy little palms until you had taken a queen! You are so recklessly stupid that you refuse a wife and thus an heir—"

"Yes," a second voice cut in softly, making Yugi pause in the entranceway as he spotted the two forms there. He was not surprised to see the way Atemu was watching his cousin with a calm and clear expression on his face, not the least bit undone by his anger. "I am reckless. I did refuse to take a wife to bear an heir for my kingdom. I did forsake my responsibilities. I do not deserve such power as the pharaoh of Kemet. I am as flawed and weak as they come. But I am your pharaoh for the time being."

"Time—?"

"My Pharaoh—"

"Cease with the titles, Isis," the pharaoh murmured blandly, turning his head to regard her where she stood to the right of him, out of Yugi's line of sight. "You have news?"

"The thief king is getting ever closer."

"Then I shall meet him when it is decreed." He shook his head. "There is no reason to worry now. All of you should just rest yourselves. I am safe, I am here. And I will face the thief king when the time comes."

Both priests swapped looks, incredulous and shocked as the monarch merely stood before them, red eyes resting on them with some sort of soft amusement. His mouth did not pull into a smile, however, making it clear that while he found it humorous their disbelief, he was not deterred by his own thoughts which made his gaze darker. It was not a distraction strong enough to fight away the tension which lingered in his shoulders which were only faintly raised. If Yugi had not known him so well, he would never have noticed it; it was far too small for one to see at first glance.

As if summoned by name, the red-eyed boy's head turned, gaze sharp and curious at first as they searched for whatever had caught his attention. It took only a moment for the sharp gaze to meet his eyes, and he blinked in surprise when the other tipped his head to the side as if in invitation. He shook his head faintly, but gave him a small smile that he hoped conveyed something of the pride he felt for the younger boy, and then turned to make his way back down the hallway. Atemu watched him for a long moment, impulsively thinking to follow him, but then turned back, eyes narrowed as he took in Seth and Isis before him once more.

His brunet cousin was staring at him with an expression somewhere between perplexity and agitation, as if he wished nothing more than to reach over and cuff him on the ear. The monarch did not bother to do more than watch him, knowing that the other would hold the impulse in check for fear of his backlash. They stared at each other for what felt like an eternity and then finally the icy blue of his eyes grew sharp and his jaw set as he turned on his heel and began to move away. The priest shot him an annoyed look over his shoulder which he chose to ignore, and Atemu looked towards his High Priestess with narrow eyes.

"You have not told him," she said in a calm voice that made his shoulders rise just a little higher. If he had not known she could see with the Necklace she wore, he would have feigned ignorance. But, for all his arrogance, he could not find it in himself to argue, nor so much as look away as if in shame.

"No. I will tell him as I promised, but not until Ra has descended."

"He will be heartbroken."

"And it will mend," he snapped angrily, giving her a sharp look before glancing sideways towards the entrance as if he might spot Yugi there once more. It was a weak thought, something that he both wished and despaired for. But the vizier-in-training was long gone and so he turned back with his head raised a little higher despite how cold he felt and the way his heart felt constricted as it beat in his chest painfully. "It will mend."

"Will it?"

"It will have to."

She frowned at him, but the thought of argument was a long forgotten wisp of an idea that neither considered fully. He had done all the things he could, borne from arrogance and fear as they were, but there was nothing else even she knew of that might change the weaving of his fate. So she turned away when he narrowed his eyes and fixed her with a challenging look that made her insides twist painfully.

"When does the thief king come?"

"It is only a matter of rises now." She hesitated. "I have seen something far…sooner. But it will not be for you."

"Who is it then?"

"Even if I should tell you, you would not be able to prevent it coming to pass."

Atemu bristled, eyes flashing violently with such power that she was at first pushed to bow before him in a hope of persuading him towards giving her mercy. But he did not spit out at her as she had initially feared, his voice did not come out harsh and cold with that timbre that would make her quake. Instead his eyes shot away from her to the ground, his jaw clenched, and he hissed, "Yugi will meet him before me."

"Yes."

The monarch struggled with the impulse to snap that he could change that, make sure it would not happen. But, if he had learned nothing else within the last several seasons, it was that he had no power. The gods would dance about and mock him pitifully and laugh at even his best of attempts to turn their affections. No amount of bribery, nor prayer, nor persuasion, would ever make them turn to him with more than the fate that he knew he would suffer.

"How soon?"

"I cannot tell you."

She could, but she feared he would intervene. He nodded curtly, because he could not help but wish it so, and instead turned away with his eyes narrowed and his teeth digging into his cheek to keep from lashing out in his mounting anger. But there was no change to anything, as he had been forced to accept so many times before. The gods were probably laughing at him even now.

He glanced towards the wall of the room, for a moment expecting to see Osiris there, but the dragon deity was far from within his sight. He wondered where he might have wandered, but did not question it.

"You may take your leave," he said suddenly, turning to her with a dark gaze. "There is no reason for you to remain with me here. Go get some rest."

She might have argued had she not heard the clear warning in his tone. He would not allow her to fight with him on this matter. He would sooner spite the gods and kill her than he would allow her to dissuade his demand. The High Priestess nodded her head deeply, bowing a moment later, and then turned away to begin the familiar walk to her bedchambers.

"Do you think he will hate me for it?" he whispered quietly, voice so soft and wistful that the priestess very nearly missed it altogether. The brunette paused for a moment, then slowly turned her head to regard him over her shoulder. He was not looking at her, instead staring off towards the entranceway where she knew he had spotted Yugi earlier. The look in his eyes was vacant and small, as if he had lost the will to do more than wish his lover might reappear there to comfort him.

"I do not know."

Very slowly the red-eyed teen raised his gaze towards her and for a moment she thought he looked pitiful enough that he might beg her to tell him she was sure he wouldn't. But the monarch merely blinked at her slowly, gaze growing cold and distant, and hissed a sharp, "Get out of my sight."

* * *

He was not wholly sure what it was that made him think to go towards the altar. He had been thinking more about the gods and what Atemu had told him about the offerings he had attempted to bargain with, how he had refused to give his senses. The conviction that had colored his tones had made his stomach feel strange, weak, and he could not shake it even as he continued walking. He had been resigned to his regular duties as a vizier-in-training, writing whatever studies he was meant to, doing what his grandfather said he did not have time to at the moment. Mostly it had simply been him seated in his bedchambers, writing on the papyrus and biting his lip as his mind went elsewhere while he struggled to consider what it was that he should have been studying and scripting. It was simply that a single moment of time to catch his breath and look away from the task made him immediately think of Atemu. And that led to him wondering about the hideous proclamation in his bedchambers and then the pictures of the two animals in his mind with those leering expressions and the way he could not help but cower before them.

What had happened in that chamber in the temple? He still could not think to put to words that question for Atemu. If he asked, would he even answer? He had said that he would tell him everything, but was that included? Would he overlook it? Perhaps he might have assumed that Yugi understood it by now?

Yugi shook his head slightly, still wondering, and glanced about himself slowly. The altar had not been where he had expected to find himself. But he was at the doors and he wanted somewhere to sit and think for a moment. The silence at this hour might just help him clear his head enough to put everything into a perspective that might help him to understand it, even if it was only something as small as the order of which it had all happened.

Of course, in reality, he knew that simple bit of knowledge necessary for that kind of understanding. He knew the order that it had happened, even if he was at a loss as to what had pushed them in that direction. And that, in itself, was nothing but a small comfort, but it made him feel the smallest bit better nonetheless.

He pushed on the door, surprised that the torches looked alive and almost energized where they shed light across the chamber. The area was small, with the usual lime and sandstone that made up the rest of the immense palace. The walls held several small areas which he knew had perfumes and incenses to be cast upon one's need to invoke whichever god they chose. A small vase sat in the corner, set apart for the incense to be placed inside. The walls were bathed in gold and silver, with strands of white and blue and red that looked like wisps of drifting smoke. The columns were paler than most of the majestically painted room, with red bases but not much design to coat them. Images of most of the gods aligned the wall, with words beneath them on the proper invocation of each of them. Several small statues peppered the room, of cats and dogs and wolves and jackals and eagles with their wings spread. An alligator was near the altar, with its jaws wide open and its tail almost thicker than the rest of its immense body. The altar itself was rather plain, with torches surrounding its front, the stone smoothed out and bare. Not a single hint of color splashed its surface, as the offerings were meant to be placed upon a pure area for which they could be received.

He had been told that every time he had asked. Many times the walls had made the altar look tiny due to its lack of color. The designs and threads of color and images upon the back of the doors made it seem so miniscule he was sometimes amazed he noticed it during those hours of his own offerings.

But that was not what caught his attention now. He pulled the door shut behind him, blinking once slowly, and opened his mouth as if to snarl at the other person within the room, but stopped short. There was a low and distinct hissing noise somewhere within the shadows, though he could not locate it even as he looked about himself. It made his skin crawl, his spine tightening beneath his flesh, and his teeth ground together harshly at the way it reverberated threateningly in his ears.

For a moment he saw nothing, then a seemingly shapeless drifting touch of smoke swept forward. It moved aimlessly at first, then was immediately towards the other figure within the room. If not for the clothes and the ragged appearance even from behind them, he might have assumed that perhaps it was Atemu there. In the low light, with the other hunched over, it was nearly impossible to tell the shape of their hair nor the length of their body. But he knew even without thought that it would not— _could_ not—be his younger lover because the red-eyed boy would be in the throne room. He would be sitting there, listening to something or other that was found necessary of his attention.

The hissing grew longer, louder, until it cut off suddenly. The air was thicker than usual now, making his lungs feel harsh, aching in his chest, when he breathed in slowly. There was a strange smell, something that he could not place, that brushed at his mind forcefully as if to make him turn tail and flee.

Yugi froze in place, eyes widening drastically as the other male slowly turned his head to look at him over his shoulder. His spine tingled, mouth growing dry as if he had been breathing in the sunlight outside, and his entire body ached as he stared in horror. He recognized those purple eyes, the sharp lines that seemed to make them narrower, and that enormous scar that made his jaw look a bit longer and harsher. He was wearing new clothes and he was male rather than female this time, but he recognized him immediately. Despite the long red coat that hung from his shoulders almost like a cloak, he knew him as if he had engraved his name upon his skin rather than simply having seen or heard of him briefly.

"What. Are. You. Doing. Here?" he repeated, spitting the words out furiously as they looked upon each other. The taller, seemingly malnourished white-haired man turned more fully, eyes glinting like razors as his attention was turned upon him completely. Yugi squared his shoulders, straightening his back to its full height, and despite the lack of intimidation it gave him, he still did not cower or back down. "Get out."

"What shall you do if I won't?" His voice was low, harsh and gravelly, but he could tell it was more from suppressing harsh laughter than it was his natural tone. "Will you call your little guards to stop me?"

He narrowed his eyes and shook his head sharply. "Get out."

His repetition was enough to make the other pause. For a moment those purple eyes glinted like the sunlight from the grains collected in the sand dunes outside. He blinked and then tilted his head only slightly before something seemed to dawn upon his face. His expression turned from amused to cold and mocking. "Oh, I was not aware I was speaking to the pharaoh's whore," he drawled, though his eyes seemed to grow feverish rather than even more mocking or amused. "I thought perhaps the pharaoh would finally come to meet me here for once. Instead he sends a boy who can barely keep his bed warm enough for satisfaction."

Yugi bristled at the statement, eyes widening momentarily before narrowing once more. For a moment he almost asked what he meant to say with such a bold accusation but realized immediately that he would be wasting his breath. He didn't need to know the reasoning behind the other's warped perception, and when it came down to it, he suspected that he had merely heard them arguing in the throne room before. It would not have taken much intelligence or even a long amount of eavesdropping to understand their argument or the hideous accusations they had slung at one another.

"Leave before I remove you."

"You?" he mocked, lips pulling back into a wide smirk that made him think once more of that jackal in the desert. He blinked, staring at him, and for a moment his eyes would not clear of the image that they seemed to produce in a rather unwavering haze like strong sunlight in the horizon. Those purple eyes had turned golden, and his lips had pulled into a muzzle, his cracked teeth pulling into a new arrangement like long, sharp needles to weave clothes with. The canine's expression did not waver nor move from where it rested in his vision, encompassing the thief's tanned features as if they were one in the same. " _You_ will be the one to expel me? I don't think so, _little one_."

His shoulders rose slightly and his teeth ground together. "You would be wise to think better of what you say," he snapped. "You worthless piece of dung."

"Oh, I'm wounded," he spat, eyes flashing with mocking laughter. "You've scared me so terribly, little Yugi…or is it Heba? After that spat you and the dear pharaoh got into last, which is the name he'll call you next, I wonder?"

"He'll call me by my name, neither of which you have a right to speak," he snarled, quickly making a mental assortment of the items scattered about the room. He knew that there was not much as far as a weapon went, though he did suspect a distraction might be enough to get the upper hand should it become physical. He wished immediately that he had not left his dagger in his chambers in his haste to leave his studies, but it was too late to mourn his mistake. He would simply have to use what was provided him throughout the room.

"The right to speak," the other drawled, smacking his mouth together in apparent laughter before shaking his head with a soft mocking hiss of disapproval. "That doesn't sound like something anyone has to work hard for. I seem to recall that whores are called whatever one pleases."

"Then I suppose you have many names."

It was the first real reaction he got from the other, a small blink of surprise and then clear disdain, startled by the response. Yugi shifted his weight subtly, thinking to make a run for the vase that rested in the corner, maybe knock it aside and use it just long enough to possibly summon Ra. He could already hear the hissing noise of something stirring somewhere in the darkness and he was not foolish enough to think it was not the creature that followed the thief.

"I'll enjoy killing you."

"I'll remember you saying that when it's you who ends up dead."

He chuckled and then sprang so quickly that Yugi nearly missed it when he blinked. He tossed himself to the side. The thief missed him by only a small inch. He backed up several steps, eyes narrowing. The white-haired man was still smirking at him widely, moving a couple of steps to the side. He recognized that he was not about to harm him yet. He was merely gauging his speed, seeing if he could maneuver quickly enough to dodge.

He felt his lips twitch and quirk, tugging downwards. He was used to Atemu's speed—swift and harsh and dangerous when he was angered—and did not blink at the thief's. But he had to admit that he was not used to someone as fast as the pharaoh himself. When he and Atemu had ever practiced fighting, it had been playful and mostly swats that Yugi had laughingly dodged. When Seth and Atemu had fought, they had been pulled apart most of the time, because despite Atemu's speed, Seth's longer reach and harder hit had managed to undo him several times.

And, despite his thinner frame, he realized that this man could easily swat him as hard as Seth could Atemu in training. He had both the speed and the power behind him, something that made Yugi feel sick and dazed. He himself was speedy but unless he could force someone to the ground, he wasn't as great at defending himself or attacking as he wished he was.

The thief tilted his head only slightly and then lunged. Yugi turned away, spinning to avoid getting his shenti caught. He watched him again, eyes wide. Both of them stared for a split second. He shot forward again, lashing out without any true aim. The smaller moved away again, just out of reach.

"You're fast," he commented, pleased with his simple pivot to move away the next time. His purple eyes glittered and his lips pulled back further. "You're not fast enough though."

Yugi blinked but ducked out of his reach when he punched. The movement allowed him to deliver a harsh kick to his midsection. The smaller grunted, hitting the ground hard. But he was on his feet again with alarming haste. For a moment, he simply watched him, and then he sprang again. He came in a mix of kicks and punches. It was as if he was everywhere at once. The smaller struggled to keep his balance. Skin puffed bright pink, caught by his nails. He waited for a moment, then punched as hard as he could.

The thief went skidding, hitting the ground on his back. He sat up immediately, rubbing his jaw, and smirked at him. Blood dribbled from a split lip. Yugi watched him wipe it away with his hand. Oh Ra, he hadn't even really dazed him. And he had not had time to spring and pin him to the floor like he had been hoping…

"It was a nice effort," the thief drawled, grinning at him. Yugi blinked in disgust at the sight of blood on his teeth. "But I've wasted enough time. And I don't need the guards coming in when you scream while you're dying. I'll leave it to Dia—"

They both froze. Something in the air grew harsh and cold, the sun's heat all but a lost memory. Where the hissing had been growing progressively louder, though Yugi had ignored it in favor of focusing on the immediate threat, this came instantly. There was no sound to bring forth the presence that was rapidly making itself known. The temperature died away into a bleak state of crackling energy.

The light seemed to die away within the room, growing black. The shadows moved in dancing figures along the expanse of sandstone. The torches all burst upwards and then ceased existence. The very staffs split and the wood cracking made them both flinch. It echoed and popped continuously. The wind suddenly whipped. A statue burst where it sat on a small stand. The vase slowly splintered and then rapidly crumbled, the shards screaming as they hit the ground.

Something moved on the floor. It was as if a large black hole, feathered by white and silver, were creeping across the stone. Crackles of energy like swift lightning made the room feel smoldering. Heat blasted through the room, pulsating brilliantly. The hole began to spread, opening wider, like gaping jaws.

Yugi turned his head, horrified. Was this the creature that the thief had been using to kill in the villages? Or was it something worse? When his eyes fell on the other, he knew that he was just as horrified as he was. The purple gaze had grown three times its size, staring at the floor as the wind tossed him to the ground. Bursts of color exploded in brilliant shades, blocking him from view. He cringed and stepped away, holding a hand to shield his eyes. The wind tossed his shenti back and forth but did not force him to his knees. Rather, it seemed to pull at him as if fingers were grazing his skin.

Oh gods, what was this creature? What had been summoned here?

Yugi trembled and swallowed harshly. His ears seemed to split with the roar of the beast that came forth. The air seemed to boom and echo, quivering as a ship on harsh waters might. He felt the impulse to flatten himself to the ground but remained still. He was frozen, horrified, and could not even pull his arm down.

It vanished as immediately as it had come. The wind stopped. The roar fell into echoing thuds against the walls. The crackling vanished. The heat became bearable once more. The hole in the floor seemed to disappear.

Yugi trembled again, swallowing hard once more. When he pulled his arm down just enough to look, his mouth fell open.

The first thing he saw was long, jagged spikes in rows of two. They ran the length of the immense shape before him. Thin, fragile-looking bones pressed long nails against the floor. Long, arching falls of deep red encompassed the room around them. A slithering noise pronounced long, low breaths as its body quivered with the force of each. A coil of black seemed to wind its way towards him, with small strips of white in even spaces. They glowed harshly, pulsating with power. Its tail was feather-like, with two long spikes on either side, the center of it sharper than the others. Long, scathing white spikes rose into the air with its immense neck. Thin, short legs looked as fragile as the two that rested on the ground so far below. Three long claws glinted like its golden, serpentine eyes. Its head turned, jaw closed tight. A forked tongue slithered from its mouth. The muscles along its throat flexed and trembled.

The thief stared up at it with a horrified expression. His entire body was trembling. He was frozen on the ground. Its head whipped towards him, peering at him. A crown of spikes rose upwards like swords thrust in the air. The color of each scale was that of fresh blood. Its mouth was split in two places. A set of raised tusks ran nearly towards the bottom of its eyes. Its jaw looked so immense that it might swallow the ocean.

"Osiris…" Yugi whispered softly, horrified. Its eyes, though void of any pupils, seemed to focus on him at the divine name. A hideous, deafening snarl of a breath coiled from its wide jaw. The air trembled and stirred with the weight of it. The long wings flickered and stretched, confined but with enough room to flare outwards.

His immediate reaction was to stare upon it, unable to look away. However, abruptly, his attention split in horror. Where was Atemu? He could not be there with them! He didn't know what would happen—

His head snapped around, ready to tell him to run, and then froze. The doors were still tightly shut. There had been no disturbance. Despite the harsh winds and the power of its summoning, nothing had changed about them as far as entrance and exit. The door that he used to sneak into the room was still tightly shut. Yugi very slowly turned his head again, eyes growing thrice their size in shock.

Had Osiris…come to protect… _him_?

But why? Osiris was not his deity. He did not come when Yugi summoned monsters. He came for Atemu, the only who could call it forth. Ra was his deity, the monster that responded to him. So why had Osiris come? He had not even attempted to summon Ra as of that moment.

Oh gods…was Atemu okay?

Yugi felt fear seize him immediately, horrified, and spun on his heel to run. Behind him, he heard Osiris breathe roughly again, then let out a shrill cry that made the entire palace quake. The thief snarled something behind him. A hissing noise made him hesitate and turn his head. But he could see nothing around the enraged god's body. The ground shook again and he nearly stumbled, but held his balance enough to press his weight painfully into the thick wooden door closest him. He stumbled with the force of his violent shove, then ran as fast as his legs could carry him towards the throne room.

It occurred to him only after he was halfway to his lover's chambers that perhaps he should have attempted to barricade the door. He should have done _something_ to hold the thief king there. The thief was notorious for making grand escapes. And the monster he had had there to kill him had not even shown itself. Perhaps he and the monster might be able to escape with the exit open as it was. However, he still had to hope that Osiris might be able to hold them there.

The passage to the throne room was a blur with the speed he used to carry himself there. He thought he rivaled the gray horse or even the wind with the way his legs carried him as if he were one with the element. His feet barely seemed to touch the ground and he could hear almost nothing safe the harsh beat of his heart in his ears. His body was racked with heat which coiled beneath his skin like snakes, twisting around his muscle and making him sweat with growing fatigue. He was exhausted by the time that he got to the room, but did not hesitate to burst inside even as his lungs began to berate him harshly with constricted twists and painful pulses.

"Atemu!" he breathed out in a choked cry, panting harshly. He trembled, panicked, and his eyes burned with tears as the monarch jumped immediately to his feet. His mouth opened and closed once before he sprang for him. His arms encircled him even as the other was hesitant in approaching the matter of conversation he seemed to recognize needed addressing. Yugi trembled and breathed in deeply, squeezing his eyes shut in order to focus in on that beautiful scent that was his younger lover.

For a long minute Atemu did not move, and then slowly his hand came to rest on the small of his back. It drifted upwards, rubbing along his spine. Then it found its way into his hair, nimble fingers working gently against his scalp. Yugi trembled again, breathing in a harsh sobbing noise, and the other boy continued stroking his skin. His chin moved to place itself on his head. He pulled him a little closer, pressing them together as completely as he could.

"Hush, little one," he mumbled, the comfort empty and lacking, distracted by some kind of fear that the vizier-in-training was not exposed to. His other hand rubbed up and down the groove of his spine between his shoulder blades. He blinked around him slowly, eyes searching, and for a moment was confused as to where the great dragon might have gone. Surely if Yugi was okay, that meant that Osiris was nearby, did it not? Had that not been the deal he had made?

He nearly snarled low in his throat with disgust. If the gods had turned their back on their deal, he would make them pay. He was not sure how nor to what measure, but he find a way, and the gods would suffer his wrath.

But the moment of hatred passed so quickly it was nearly powerful enough to wind him. There was a soft and gentle hissing which crept first into his ears and then through his body as if to warn him from such thoughts. Then, slowly and methodically, the size of the beast that of the length of a cheetah, the dragon slithered in on its belly through the doorway. Its eyes were glittering with the torch flame, but somehow Atemu thought more that it looked as if it were angered rather than touched by such a mundane thing. Where its wings were tucked along its body, the scythe-like scales upon its chest made small grooves within the limestone floor, making the pharaoh stiffen faintly. It moved forth slowly and lazily, and the glint within its incandescent eyes made him feel weak for a brief moment. It looked all the divine being it truly was, ferocious and bloodthirsty in the way its movements grew quick and sharp for one tiny moment before rising to its feet in a much more relaxed action. The claws were twitching, sharp as his own sword, and they curled towards the earth with a grating noise that made the pharaoh want to duck away.

"Return to my bedchambers," he muttered softly, blinking at the deity and squaring his shoulders when the beast raised its head and fixed him with a cold and unwavering stare. He thought it was challenging him for a moment and his first impulse was to leap at the chance to prove it wrong, but he quelled such desire immediately. To do so would potentially harm Yugi and that was not something he would allow, not by his own hand or another's. Divinity be damned, Osiris would have to wait.

"What?" Yugi managed to breathe out, pulling back and looking at him in surprise. The hand between his shoulder blades had stopped moving but for a moment he seemed as if he were staring off somewhere behind him. The older boy's head turned, regarding the space behind him, and then bristled faintly at the way the shadows seemed to have folded for the briefest of seconds. He thought he was seeing something; surely he was. But the flames still seemed so lacking where they should have touched what seemed to be the largest corner of darkness to be granted within the room.

There was a flicker of something like gold, enough to make him blink and tilt his head, but it was gone immediately after. But there was something deep inside of him that lingered, foreboding and burning at his flesh. The color had seemed so familiar and disgusting, and for a moment he could not shake the image of the jackal nor the dragon that sprang forward immediately after. He could not rid himself of the thought that perhaps Osiris had followed him to this room, that the thief had snuck away, and the idea made him want to flinch. What use was a divine being if they would not protect them? And what god was tricked by a mere mortal? The thief king may have been able to slip in and out as he pleased, but he was still nothing more than a human being. And Osiris was a god. He was meant to make the mortals quake and arouse offerings and admiration from even the most arrogant of fools.

"Yugi, return to my bedchambers. I shall meet you there soon."

He blinked, surprised for a moment, and then turned back. The focus had returned to the younger male's eyes, the red sharp and burning where they bore into his face. His face had grown harder, set in its expression, firm but still easily swayed should Yugi try to lead him elsewhere. He was within the palm of his hand, as they both knew, and would fold to his will with even the simplest of pleasant smiles and promises of rest in the other's arms.

But the older was not tempted to pull him along to play to his tune. There was something deep and cold in the pit of his stomach that pushed such a thought away as if it had never existed formerly. His mind was more preoccupied with the idea of what might have gone about within the altar, what the beast was that slithered with the thief. He'd heard whispers of it from many, but none had ever spoken of it in great detail. In the darkness of his mind it seemed to give itself form, in something almost like the great god that had protected him, which might have also failed to defeat the lowly forms that had challenged it.

The thought made him feel almost dizzy, but there was enough strength in his lover's eyes that he could remain upright. Dazed and unable to shake such thoughts, the vizier-in-training nodded slowly and looked away just as fast. "Okay. I…" He hesitated, head spinning for a moment, and then glanced over his shoulder as if he might find the dragon there. "Come when you are able."

"You have my word, little one."

He nodded but did not look at him, distracted by the very idea of that single flash of bright gold he had seen what seemed like hours before. He turned on his heel, facing Atemu again more fully, opened his mouth to say something more, and then shook his head and started for the exit. The red-eyed boy watched him, head turned to track his movements, and frowned deeply as he disappeared from his sight.

 _You dare to question me_?

He would have flinched had he not come to know the voice. It was as deep as the Nile, with the strength of the moon and the stars within the sky, and it resonated so far within him that he almost thought it a dream at first. Like so many times during his hours within the temple, Atemu did not turn to face him nor acknowledge his words. It was with such arrogance that he regarded the other that he was not surprised to turn back and find the being closer to him, growling low in its throat.

"I question not only you but everything around me," he snapped, voice bordering hatred as his eyes flashed. The dragon's head tilted to the side as if in question of his harsh tone or the carefully-chosen words. The massive crest of thorn-like spikes which crowned its skull looked almost like the ears of his dog when he spoke to it in a firm voice, puzzled and curious about what had been done wrong. "And I do not remember being warned that this might happen."

 _The Priestess gave you her vision_.

"I should have heard it from you. You should have been the one to tell me such a thing. Is that not what I have done this all for?"

 _You have chosen to do this for your lover and the strength of your kingdom_. _Do not pretend yourself a god while in the presence of one_.

"I have no need to. There is no reason for me to even consider imagining such a thing. I am nothing but lowly, weak, and a pawn for which the rest of you all play."

 _You are vital to win_. _As is your partner_.

"Vital? You would have me believe that when we both know the truth of this matter, Osiris?" Atemu spat out, making the dragon momentarily rise up in a furious imitation of his tone. The wings along its back spread narrowly, the tips sliding across the ground with such force as to make a hideous and almost incapacitating scratching noise. Its jaws opened, tongues flickering, and the claws on the ground curled further inward. But the monarch did not so much as blink in his growing rage. "You would rather trade me for the sake of another summer of your power than allow me to live and you claim that I am vital? Have you fooled yourself into such a belief, dragon?"

 _It is not I who chose you_. _It was Anubis and Ra_. _If you have such anger, direct it to them_. _There is no need for it to be thrown at me_.

"You are the only one here."

 _As I have always been_. _Do you think you would have gotten far in this life had I not been there to guide and protect you_? _Foolish mortal_! The dragon raised its head, pulling its lips further back along the bottom jaw to show the black gums that it possessed. Atemu tilted his head, almost mesmerized by the sight of them as the torch lights did nothing to lighten the depth of their blackness. He thought of them as pools of blood beneath the moonlight, his stomach twitching briefly before he shook his head faintly at the image that formed there. Swords as long and sharp as his teeth, bared into the sky beneath the full moon, warriors bloodied but celebrating… _That is what your reign will lead to_. _That is what you do this for now_.

"Yes," Atemu whispered bitterly, watching the way the dragon coiled its muscles and the long, draped wings began to pull further inwards. The dark golden eyes flashed and glowed with an ethereal light that made the young monarch's stomach feel heated as if it might burn into nonexistence within him. "Like my father, for it was his calling too, was it not? He did it for the good of Kemet and, like him, so shall I…"

* * *

There was no preamble to the monarch's statement, voice low and cold as he entered the bedchambers and beheld the other figure which was seated at the edge of his mattress, eyes first on the ground and then on him in shock. He sat up, horrified by the statement, and his mouth opened and closed slowly as if he could not think to respond beyond gaping at him with such horror to color his face that it made the pharaoh wish nothing more than to be able to swallow such words. But he had wanted to know and there was no pretending it would not come to pass any longer. In the darkness of the night he had been able to pretend and trick himself into thinking such falsities a reality, his dreams always filled with a mocking and foreboding touch of his own desires, but nothing could change it. He had done so much and there was just nothing which could save him.

"This is going to be my last summer," he repeated, watching as the older boy sat up somehow straighter, blue-violet eyes wide and ringed with confusion. The monarch shrugged off the rings which adorned his fingers, allowing them to clatter loudly upon the surface of the wooden vanity with which he had often used to dress himself. "I visited Anubis and Osiris myself last rise. I did the ceremony as I was once informed by my father to do and thus directed your grandfather to as well. It is, as my father once told me, one secret of many which is passed down among the pharaohs and never outside of the family. And I received the same results that he once did. I will die before the next summer comes to pass. This will be my last."

Yugi was frozen before him, so stiffened by his own muscles and shock that when he attempted to shake his head his entire body went through a hideous tremor. But he was unable to stop himself as he was racked with yet another. The words made no sense to the vizier-in-training. What could he possibly be saying?

"N-no…"

Atemu nodded his head regardless of the stammer which greeted him, and the movement was so regal that Yugi could almost imagine that they were speaking of nothing more than the preference of grapes to figs. Yet, the movements that followed were stiff and weary, borne from exhaustion, as he reached up to pull his crown away, the strands of his hair plastered to the golden object by his sweat. "It did not surprise me, of course," he snorted softly, with such bitterness that the older boy was momentarily frozen in place once more. He shook his head, smirking as he looked the royal jewelry over with pure hatred. It stuck to him just as his responsibilities did, as his bloodline did. And he hated it more than he had anything he had ever come across in his life. The strands connected them like bloodied muscle being ripped away from a carcass. His lips twisted at the thought; maybe, if he was lucky, his body would not be found and his carcass would be eaten by the jackals. As he had once joked with the boy before him, should they not all return to Anubis's temple from whence they had once come?

A hysterical little bubble of laughter exploded from his lungs, disbelief making him glance towards Yugi with momentary amusement. "Isis has always had dreams and visions of my death—my entire life…she has known since the moment I was born. She spoke of it in warning to my father who in turn refused to allow me to know of my own fate. But I have always known, Yugi. I have never been nearly as blind or shortsighted as they have all believed me to be." He took a moment, narrowing his eyes into slits, and then smirked harshly as he considered his quaking form where he was staring with such horror upon his face. "I dreamed of my father's death the night before it happened. Yet I had hoped I could change my own fate. But I am bound to this dynasty by my own livelihood. I am bound by the decree of the gods to my early death. I thought that perhaps finding Akefia before he might find me would save my soul, that I could change it all. But he evades me as the gods abandon me now. I was a fool, and so terribly arrogant to imagine my will to be strong enough to challenge theirs."

Yugi shook his head slowly, body growing more abundant in its hideous tremors. His throat was closing painfully, horrified by the very thought that the monarch might be swept out of his life, from his very grasp, as if he had never existed. So many people had already done that, some of them simple squires that had fallen ill, others, like his father, taken after a long and hideous torment… His hands were shaking violently as he let out a rough breath and tried to make the other swallow his words, take them back and say that it was all but a game. The monarch was staring at him with a cold and curious yet blank stare, as if seeing his frame but looking through him all the same. Then, as if possessed by a rigid indifference, the red-eyed boy slowly shrugged his shoulders and watched him more closely.

"N-no—there has to be a way to ch—"

"No, Yugi, there is not. It will not change—not for me. And not for you. No one can change this. The gods have spoken their will and we are at the mercy of it. I have turned my head to it for as long as I might. And I have tried my hardest to change it all. But I have done nothing but fail. In my arrogance I suspected that I had the power to change anything but I do not. And they have proven themselves more powerful than I shall ever be. But I have come to accept it. And so shall you."

The other boy jumped to his feet, spitting, "You cannot truly expect me to be okay with—"

"I can and I will so you _shall_."

"Atemu—"

"I am pharaoh, now do as I say."

The older boy was frozen in place by his words, feeling them resonate deeply within his bones with such power that he nearly quaked again. His voice lacked even the smallest hint of humor nor his usual charm. There was nothing but a forceful authority with such power as to make him tremble, his gaze darkened with a firmness that made his heart stutter. The statement made his insides shake, a realization creeping through him with such power it made his heart hammer.

He was truly ordering him to be okay with it.

He was trying to make him accept it as he had himself.

He was…

He turned away, lowering his head and looking at the limestone floor with a sick feeling which tugged at his guts and made his knees feel weak. He could not help but feel the sting of irony as it forced itself into his mind. Atemu had once told him, the night the younger boy had gotten his chance to experience his rite of passage into manhood through the union of their bodies, that the only time he would order him around was when it meant death.

Now, standing before him only three summers later, Atemu was keeping his oath.

He shook stupidly like a leaf in the wind, squeezing his eyes shut and clenching his jaw. The pain came in sharp jolts of longing and ache that made his knees want to buckle. He shook his head again, sharply and erratically. Atemu really _had_ always known. He had always known…he had always known, he had always…

He lashed out and caught him across the cheek with his nails. The noise that came from his throat was that of a rabid jackal, so furious was the older male. He was shaking again, but spitting at him as well, infuriated and horrified. Atemu did not blink, however, watching him even as his cheek began to bleed and a small river of bright red to rival his eyes began to trail its way down to his well-defined chin. "You always fucking knew," he breathed out angrily. "You always knew. And you never told me!"

"I have never felt need to. And it was not your right to know until I allowed it."

"You arrogant son of a jackal!" he spat, shaking harder and wanting to pounce on the other boy with such ferocity it made his jaw quiver. His eyes shot to the small bead of blood that threatened to fall from his face like a tear and for a split second he thought his hatred almost nonexistent. But then it came harder, lashing out with such force that he nearly snarled in disdain. He wanted to make him do it, suddenly, make him cry and beg for his forgiveness, but when he raised his eyes again, furious enough to spit at him once more, he realized that Atemu had no more tears to shed. Probably in all the time that he had kept it such a heavily-veiled secret, he had been able to cry on his own without the fear of witnesses. Probably that was just how he had needed to do it.

And, as they continued to look at one another, Yugi knew he had no apology to give him. The monarch had made his decision, however stupid the older judged it now, and he would stand by it. It was not as if he had a choice but to do so. But he knew that if he had ever gotten the chance to change it, he would never do so.

And knowing sooner would have done nothing to lessen the ache in his chest.

"Oh, Atemu…"

The monarch shrugged indifferently once more, expression growing blank as his eyes bore into his. "What would be the point of making you fear tales of my death so early in life?" he stated simply, reaching up to pull the Millennium Puzzle from around his neck, the cord resting in his hand as he looked the heirloom over slowly. "I tried so hard, so many different times, but it was not to be. I would rather you know of my failure after I had given up than while I still tried."

Yugi flinched violently and shook his head with a twist of his stomach. His breath was coming out weak and small, constricted and with such little to be gained that his head seemed to swim. Had he truly suspected him of judgment like that?

"I had once thought to ask you to be my successor. But I realize you would never desire such a thing. I have seemingly forgotten the cruelty of such irony," he snorted, throwing the Puzzle aside with an easy flick of his wrist; the little trinket had guaranteed his death the night he was born. He had only heard rumors of the destruction that had been brought about to bring it into existence, but he had always known the payment on both his own and his father's behalf. As such, he could do nothing more than bear it as the son of Aknamkanon and twist his own reality to suit his aching desires, no matter how bare and pathetic they might be.

When he looked to Yugi he saw the horror that had grown so much more abundant in his eyes once more. The expression was not one marred by his early death, however, but rather by the thought that he might have even suggested the throne to him. Atemu understood such feelings, as they stirred so often within his own being, and the thought made him almost laugh. How cruel a gift it would have been had he gone about asking him. Yugi would never want that power, especially not with the way that he would have given it. To the older boy, he was born into the throne and so it rightfully, justly, belonged to him and him alone. If he were the one to sit on it until his death or surrender of the title, the vizier-in-training would never have been able to live with himself. He would have rather killed himself than have to endure such a constant and terrible reminder.

But…would the palace empty of him not be just as cruel?

He nearly laughed. There was so much he was unable to fix, so much that he would never even be given knowledge of. When he passed, his soul would be a pawn once more for the gods. He did not know their plans, but he was aware of Osiris's many twisted statements, of the warnings which he spoke of so often. He knew them, he recognized them, and he hated them more than he did the very thought of death or leaving Yugi.

"I have chosen Seth as my successor. Do you think that is right?" Atemu mused, startling the older male who blinked at him as if he could not understand why he was asking him such a thing. "I would have declared Shiamun in his place but he is elderly and it would not bode well for a dynasty in a show of power. No, I thought of you first. You are everything that the people of Kemet could ever hope for or desire, but you would never take it. Seth is more like me but he is…ambitious and hungers for power at times. Keep him in line for me, Yugi."

He recoiled, staring at him in pure horror before opening and closing his mouth at the expectant look which made his eyes dark. They stared at each other in silence, the arid room seeming almost to swell with tension before he managed to choke out a brief and startled, "…Y-yes…"

Atemu nodded at him as simply as if he had just spoken of desiring grapes. The action was so effortless and full of power that it stunned the older male, making him choke on a deep breath. The boy in front of him had grown so much more than he had ever acknowledged. In only fifteen summers he was far more levelheaded and stronger than most would ever be able to give him credit for. He resented his bloodline, his right to rule, but he had accepted it and thus had thought to turn it into something more than the burden he thought he was able to run away from as a child. But, in his flight, he had grown to accept it even as Yugi had lashed out at him for his childishness towards Isis and Seth. He may have snapped and snarled and lashed out with foolish decisions, but he had done them for a reason, and he had grown to somehow take it in stride that his death was coming upon him swiftly. It was almost as if he were watching him grow up a second time, from that boy who hated everything and everyone with a passion after Seth had knocked him down in the garden to the boy who lied and hid things to the one who knew his own death was coming and was now willing to do as was needed to ensure the survival of his people.

"Atemu…"

"You will do well, Yugi. You just must remember that he is as stubborn as a camel and you will have to speak to him in a sense that you would not with me. He will never take you seriously if you are not willing to show your cunning, Yugi. None of them will regard a word you say otherwise. Do you understand why it is your grandfather is so respected amongst them? It is not his position. If you were to strip him down of his status and place him as a peasant, they would still listen, because he is like a sly little fox, with a tongue like gold that pleases the ears and plays with one's mind like the darkness. You should learn to hone your sarcasm and blend it with your intelligence. Seth will listen to you then. All of them will listen to you."

"Why are you talking to me like this _now_?" he finally cried out, thinking for a moment to bite his tongue when he saw the startled look on the other's face. "You are not going to just slip away in the middle of the night or something! There will still be plenty of time for us to say goodbyes later—"

"Later?" Atemu repeated slowly, lips twitching into a wide smirk as he shook his head. His eyes were softer, almost laughing, but there was something dead in the center of his irises, making them blank towards his pupils. "No, I refuse to say such things to you later. I will do it now. It will be easier when the time comes."

"You think that it makes it easier?" Yugi spat out, shaking his head angrily. "Nothing will make this easier!"

"No, perhaps not easier. I mean merely that it will be…more peaceful, maybe?" He shook his head after a moment. "Yugi, just do this with me now. We can say our farewells before it comes to pass. And then when it happens, we will know that we did not waste our time with lesser matters…"

" _No_!"

"Now who is being childish?" the pharaoh snorted softly, giving him a gentle smile and shaking his head. The vizier-in-training felt his cheeks beginning to grow heated with swift indignation, shame trickling at his insides as he nearly bowed his head. He was older than the boy in front of him, for the gods' sake! He was older and he should have been dealing with this so much better… Here he had been calling Atemu a little brat and yet, in his place, the other would have been able to handle this situation with far more grace than he thought himself possible. "Please, Yugi, I cannot do this if I know that you will never forgive me. And I would rather not have you so angry with me like this. I love you. Can that not count for anything now?"

 _Did_ that count for anything at the moment?

Yugi blinked at him, almost stupefied by the thought. His love had always counted for so much he had never been able to truly consider it as less than the most powerful force that worked within his life. Atemu knew that as well as he, but, looking at him, he realized that the monarch did believe his own pleas. He suspected the vizier-in-training might turn away from him in light of this news, that he might run when he needed him more than ever.

Accepting the truth did not make him any less weakened or hurt by the entire thing. It was not something that he wished to display, but he was breaking somewhere inside of him as well, in time with Yugi's own growing fractures.

"Habibi, I…" He trailed off, unable to form any more words, and then narrowed his eyes for a moment. His tongue felt swollen where it pressed against the roof of his mouth and he looked away again abruptly. How was he meant to say anything to quell his fears when his own were growing so much more vividly with each passing second? He closed his eyes tightly.

"My…my only reward is that it will be for the good of Kemet," Atemu stated so softly that the other male almost did not hear him. But his words made him jerk, then snarl as he jumped to attention once more.

"Then let Kemet be _damned_!" he cried in clear distress, glaring at him furiously now. He was trembling faintly, standing so rigidly that his body was racked more forcefully each second.

"Yugi—"

"No! I would rather all of Kemet _perish_ than I would you!"

The pharaoh began to open his mouth, but slowly his jaw came to a shut once more, a silence filling the room safe the slight crackle of flames from one of the lit candles. He blinked, long and slow, and then narrowed his eyes into slits of pure frustration. "And I would rather perish than allow you," he stated with such conviction that it shook the other's insides. For a moment he looked at him with such power and emotion in his gaze that it forced him to quake again, and then his eyes flickered away. In his gaze, so far removed from Yugi's, he watched Osiris as the god lay curled up beneath his bed, mouth poking outwards and tongue flicking lazily.

"Do not be so foolish!" Yugi spat icily. "I would not let you do something so stupid."

"You do not have a choice. Your voice means nothing to the gods. This summer is to be my last. The thief king and I will battle. And he will kill me," he stated with a shrug, voice losing even the faintest trace of affection in wake of the words. "I have known since I was but six summers. I have known that my life would be short and measure to nothing. No one will remember me—it will not be possible. Even my name shall be stripped from the language itself…"

"What?" the older boy snapped with such ferocity that the monarch blinked in surprise and turned his head to face him more completely. "What in the name of _Ra_ are you _talking_ about, Atemu? Of course we will remember you!"

"No. It is the gods' will that I shall not be remembered. My name will be erased from history and existence itself. My legacy dies with me." He paused, frowning as he tilted his head and hesitantly thought to reach out, though his fingers remained at his side. "But, then, of course, there is you. And the gods will be devoted to you solely as they are to me now. And I suppose that you might remember me. But I do not believe you will ever be able to speak my name again. Or maybe you shall be just as forgetful as the others—"

He snarled softly at the blow to his face, shaking his head in surprise and blinking at him. The older boy ignored him, seething visibly before him, and breathed in so roughly that it seemed to echo within the stale air of the room. "Hold your tongue," he snapped viciously, shaking harder and glaring at him furiously. "You stupid, _stupid_ boy. I cannot _believe_ you might be so incredibly _foolish_!"

Atemu looked at him with a wondrous expression for a moment, as if he could not fully understand the implication of the statement. Then he chuckled and shook his head, voice low and pitiful. "Do you hate me, little one? Am I too far removed for you to grant me forgiveness?"

He startled at the questions, opening his mouth once and then a second time before blurting out, "No, of course not! Atemu, I could never…" He paused, blinking slowly, and then shook his head once in confusion. "I do not hate you. And I…I might not forgive you now, but I know I can later."

"Would you?" he asked with an almost desperate edge to his voice. "Would you do that?"

Yugi tilted his head faintly to the side, watching him, and then lowered his eyes to the floor. "I will…when I find the strength to. When it isn't too hard to breathe the same air as you or look in your direction. When your face doesn't hurt my eyes," he muttered. "And I don't feel so weak and helpless."

The pharaoh murmured a weak, "I never meant to make you feel like that. I…I'm sorry."

"It's not you," he spat out, the words coming in a rush but lacking any anger to highlight their meaning. "I simply meant that I am overwhelmed. This…is far from what I expected would be haunting you."

"I am sorry. I never meant to put you through this…"

He shook his head at him, at first to make him grow silent, and then because he could not stand to consider his words any longer. He closed his eyes tightly, but rather than the relief he sought so desperately, he was overcome with a violent and forceful barrage of images. In his mind's eye, there was a lamb, a jackal, a gray horse, and a bright red dragon whose jaws looked wide enough to swallow the sun.

"The errand to Anubis's temple…" he breathed out, "What…what was it _for_? Why did you send _us_?"

The younger boy sighed heavily and turned away with a harsh swallow. "I sent _you_ specifically because I had need of you to interact with one of the gods before I performed the ceremony at the temple of Amun-Re. But your grandfather I chose because I selfishly wished to know if he might speak to Anubis and find another path for which I might lead a longer life. There was none—and never shall there be. But I was blinded by my desires and so I sought to find the thief king myself, to perhaps change my fate and save myself. But it was all for nothing."

"Ceremony…at the temple of Amun-Re?" Yugi repeated softly, blinking his eyes open and fixing him with a cold and confused stare. "What ceremony at the temple, Atemu?"

Atemu was silent for what felt like seasons. At first he merely watched him, studying his expression, and Yugi could see the blood where it had dried on his cheek in a long trail of dark muddy red-brown. "I took you into the chamber to see the tableau. I did it to ask the gods of a favor. I desired of them to protect and guide you," he said softly, sighing and shaking his head briefly. His shoulders rose immediately when he saw Yugi's body growing tense, knowing that for sure another blow would be struck his way. He thought for a moment, a passing humor, that perhaps he would not have to wait for Akefia to kill him. If he simply infuriated Yugi enough, he might very well take his head off without any problems. "Osiris and Ra—I asked them to keep you protected when I passed on."

The older boy could feel something stirring in the back of his mind, a fierce and vibrant fire that made his eyes blaze. A small pain was forming behind them, growing sharp and angry within moments. "You _stupid, stupid_ boy!" he snarled loudly, shoving him a step but catching him by the wrist when he nearly tumbled over. "I cannot—you make me want to scream, you wretched bastard!"

Atemu offered him a timid smile, forcing his teeth into the display and ducking his head immediately when the older boy let out an infuriated breath. "Yugi, if I am not to be here anymore, then I wish you safe," he murmured, flustered and feeling his cheeks heat with shame at the glare he was given. "I requested of them to keep you safe in my absence. Osiris will now be at your beck and call as will Ra, as I asked of them."

"What did you give them at the temple?" he demanded angrily, voice taking on something of a shrill note that made him flinch in surprise. He was bordering hysterics, they both realized, and the sound made the young monarch want nothing more than to burrow into his side and have him whisper those beautiful little nothings into his ears. He was desperate to lose himself there, in the scent and sight and touch of the other boy, even if it did not go any further. "There must have been a price to pay. What was the offerings you gave in order to make them do this?"

"Blood."

"Blood? From what? I did not see you carrying an offering with—oh, I should box you upside the head!" he snarled angrily, tossing his head from side to side and trembling with rage. He opened and closed his jaw twice, then shuddered and scowled at him furiously. "I should knock your brain clear through your nose, you pathetic idiot! I cannot believe you would ever consider something so terribly stupid!"

"Then you must not have much faith in me," the monarch muttered, earning him a sharp smack upon the back of his head that sent him stumbling a step. But he was laughing when he looked up, though he flinched away and bit his lip to keep from snickering when he saw the rage in his lover's eyes. "You must have known I would do anything for you, Yugi. I would give anything and everything for you."

He went to spit at him that he should know better but stopped short. Would he not do the same? They both knew without question that he would have tried to bribe the gods or exchanged his life for his the moment he found out. But Atemu had done his part to seal this fate, to make it an impossibility to take such pain and burden from him. He had struck the deal with the gods to ensure that he did not have such a chance. And he was horrified to realize that the moment such a thing might have been offered to him, he would have done the exact same.

"Osiris…he intervened today. I…the thief king was here," he muttered, changing the subject and bowing his head in shame at the idea that he might shy away from his original point of conversation. He was a coward to do so but yet there was no amount of strength he could draw even from his lover's eyes to help him force such a topic to point once more. "Is he…? He has not abandoned you…r-right, Atemu? I cannot live knowing that he has abandoned you in favor of me…"

"No, Osiris is with me always. Because the gods themselves are devoted to me. As they have always been since I was born. As was brought into existence by the Puzzle of the Gods." He gave him a small smile when he raised his head, eyes warm and soft with such affection he choked on a breath. There was a tight and unforgiving tension in his throat, his lungs crying out with the strain of breathing, and he closed his eyes tightly as the younger boy continued. "Anubis and Osiris watch me and Ra guides you as Obelisk leads Seth. And when this is over, you shall have yet another god to watch over you. Osiris and Ra shall exist with the purpose to guide you. As is my deal with the very gods which wish me dead."

There was a long moment in which Yugi felt he could not breathe. Staring at the other boy, seeing such devotion and conviction in his eyes, made his heart hurt and his chest constrict. There was a hideous pain behind his gaze, making him want to cry out, and he swayed for the briefest of seconds, then stepped back and pressed against the edge of the bed to make himself sit once more. He was trembling so hard that the room seemed a blur, rocking from side to side, and he thought himself swaying as he saw Atemu stare at him in pure shock.

"Yugi?"

"I…there is so much to…" He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut. "I can't…and you're…oh, Atemu…"

The younger boy moved towards him, slowly at first, cautious that he might lash out and catch him across the face once more, and then moved to his side. When he did not do more than let out a frustrated breath, the monarch moved to press his nose into his temple, breathing in deeply before kissing his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Yugi."

"I…it's not…Atemu, don't do this to me…"

"I can't change it. It's already set. You meeting Akefia today is the sign I've been waiting for in order to tell you. I…I'm so sorry. Please don't turn away from me. I could not face this if you were to turn away from me."

The vizier-in-training turned to shoot him a nasty look, to claim that for all his pleading he would do nothing to win his favor, but stopped immediately. The retort died on his throat as his breath did in his lungs. Atemu may not have had tears to shed over his death so swiftly approaching, but it was clear he did for Yugi. He must have considered the risks of telling him long before, as he stared at him with such wide and glassy eyes, his expression one of pure fear and despair. He looked as if he might burst into tears as he had over his father's illness, as if he might break before him and would want nothing more than to burrow into his side and sob his heart out until he was unable to breathe any more and he was too exhausted and overwhelmed to do more than slip into a dreamless sleep.

He hesitated, studying him, and then reached forward to touch his cheek, hand trembling faintly before steadying against his warm skin. Atemu trembled as if he expected him to strike, then looked at him with his bottom lip punctured by his teeth, blinking rapidly at him.

"Oh, habibi, don't cry," he muttered, forcing his voice to come out low and soft. He was attempting to make his tone soothing and sweet, but he was not sure that he managed to convey such affection. Instead he thought it sounded weak and watery, as if he too might cry or simply fall faint from his exhaustion. "Please, don't cry."

"Fine. I won't," Atemu huffed childishly, wrinkling his nose at him and turning away briefly before looking back just as quickly. The older boy shook his head at him, stunned by the fear still so obvious in his eyes. He looked every inch as small as he must have felt, however, and Yugi felt as if he might cower at the very idea of inflicting anything further. The monarch took a moment, then leaned forward, moving to kiss along his jaw from his ear to his chin and back. They were weak and shaky, as the younger boy himself was, and he looked as if he might attempt to flee if the older so much as looked at him the wrong way.

"You won't, will you?"

"Turn away from you? Of course not, Atemu."

For a moment he simply watched him, seeming to weigh his words and the truth in them, the way they lacked as much sincerity as he wished he could give. It was not that he might run, but the fact that he felt small and weak in the weight of it all. This admission had been far from what he had thought it might be. And the reality that the younger boy might slip from his fingers and become the very phantom Atemu had once thought him upon his arrival in the throne room that rise made him want nothing more than to sob pathetically.

"Prove it."

He blinked, startled. "What?"

"Prove it to me. You said you will not turn away. But I want you to prove it."

"Is my word not enough?"

"No." He said it so bluntly that Yugi could never have mistaken the tone or the meaning behind it. He was so scared he was demanding his attention, because, just like Yugi, he was not willing to give him room to slip out of his hands. He would not allow him the chance nor the time to consider it. And he was desperate enough that he might very well lash out the moment he was denied.

He was not afraid of him should he turn his anger on him. But he was scared that perhaps he might close off from him in retaliation of showing him his weakness and having it shunned. Should he withdraw, the vizier-in-training truly feared that he might not come back to him—or at least not completely.

The older boy blinked at him once, then tilted his head and gave him a weak smile. Of course his word was not enough. In a mirroring situation, upon their roles being reversed, he too would have questioned him. His loyalty was the strongest thing about the young monarch, and to put it under scrutiny was nothing he would have desired before in his life, but now he wished it differently. He reached, almost blind, with the shakiness of a tree battered by the winds of a furious sandstorm, until his fingers encountered Atemu's skin. The soft flesh was prickled, peppered with gooseflesh, brought by fear rather than chill, and he ran his hands gently over the two limbs.

He moved further forward, until his head could be tucked beneath the other's chin, his body curling as if to bunch against his side. An arm moved to cross his torso, his other hand grasping tightly at his soft flesh, holding him tightly there, nails gripping his skin with a fevered desire, a growing desperation. Atemu took a deep, shuddering breath, wishing his racing heart to slow to a gentle canter, hoping against his own desires to make himself calm. His own hand, shaky and cold, settled upon the other male's back, and the sensation grounded him enough to draw in a deep though somehow weak breath. He let out a small sigh that would have been unnoticed had Yugi not placed his cheek against his aching chest. The moment seemed to stretch and filter through every space of time that existed, until it was all but irrelevant and the seasons seemed to draw into nothingness. In such a second both could fool themselves, consider that the consequences would be nothing, that life would continue as it always had, that they could not and never would be separated. Atemu could almost make himself believe that immortality was not just a gift to the gods but one to himself as well, that he too might exist forever. And Yugi could pretend that the thief king was nothing more than a mocking whisper spread about the palace, without a face, or a name, or a proper place within his lover's lifetime.

Atemu shivered a moment later, breaking the state of unrivaled bliss with which they had fallen into. The sensation of this embrace was indescribable beyond the thoughts of comfort and exposure, and there was a terrible moment where he could not stop his mind from haunting him with yet another memory of such affection. He had felt this only once before, the day of his own rite in manhood, when he'd been nervous and scared but had still begged Yugi to make his one desire a truth.

It was one thing to be held in the older boy's arms, encompassed by warmth and affection unrivaled by any other power in the world. It was something else entirely to feel himself being pulled purposefully apart, burrowed into and stripped to nothing only to be put back together with such efficiency as to never notice such intensity in the first place. And Yugi did well to study him, to burrow inside of him with ease. He had always been able to take measured actions around him, and further more to wrap him around his own desires when fights began to escalate between the two of them. His reactions to him had always been instinctual, habitual. His fingers had always known where to touch, whether with a caress or with a gentle push to make him take a step in the proper direction. He had learned to anticipate his moods even before he himself grew to recognize them, and he so chose to use them to antagonize or calm him. There was no barrier thick enough, not the haze of his mind, or the darkness within the temple, with enough power to escape that penetrating effect he held upon him. And many times Atemu saw bright violet orbs glittering with misty brushstrokes of sapphire blue, glittering like lapis-lazuli gems, with unnamed stars and passion to make the world fall aflame, when he so much as closed his eyes.

But now, as Yugi pulled back just enough to look at him, to lock eyes with him, he felt more vulnerable than ever.

Yugi's hands began to wander after a moment, scaling his spine and sweeping across his skin in broad strokes of skin. Fire trailed along each path, drawing curious little whispers of growls and mewls from the younger boy. Then they drifted downwards, tracing the curve of his last rib to his right hipbone, fluttering for only a moment above his waist. Then, abruptly, like talons, his fingers enclosed around his thigh, pressing painfully so that nails clipped the soft golden-bronze skin.

He twitched and groaned, and it set off an immediate reaction in the older boy whose nerve endings danced and came to life with a thousand strokes of sunlight that demanded action.

It felt as if he had touched an open flame.

And suddenly he wondered if perhaps it was too much and too soon. But his mind was racing and there was movement along his skin as well. Atemu's hands were on him now, sliding and pulling, grabbing. His mouth was sucking, pressing kisses at his throat. He was desperate, he was trying. And his teeth were digging into his pulse point, tugging gently at the skin, his tongue making a lavish design across his soft flesh. Yugi found himself not only moaning, but gasping and clutching at the younger boy as well.

When had the other boy moved? When had he forced him onto his back? Or moved to straddle him so completely?

Yugi thought to ask but could not form the words. His breath was coming in short and eager breaths, and not once could he think to open his mouth. His spine arched pleasurably and the other boy continued ministrations to his smooth neck, begging for his attention, his affections.

He moved to thrust his hips hard enough that his younger lover was forced to clench his thighs around the older boy's waist to keep himself upright. As his legs secured themselves tightly, Yugi tossed them sideways. As they rolled, Atemu grunted, breath catching in his throat as his eyes widened with surprise and then a new, almost fearful excitement, as if he expected him to escape his grasp and flee at a second's notice.

Yugi was faster than him, snatching at his clothing, pulling it over his head with such swiftness he barely had time to fully blink. The tension was escalating, the heat from the torches growing forcefully, smoldering almost, and the monarch felt as if he might be a bowstring pulled too tightly, to the point of breaking, ready to snap at any moment. The vizier-in-training was out of his shenti a moment later, tossing it to the floor with his own clothing, and for a moment they merely stared at each other.

Atemu traced a pattern along his spine, feeling the knobs between his shoulder blades, curious as he felt such warmth and power beneath his fingers, coiled tightly within the other's body. For a moment he wished that they might merge together, that their skin could melt together as he pulled him closer, arching to press them together firmly. He desired nothing more than to make their souls one entity, a single essence of color and power and strength, of mercy and passion.

"I'm sorry for hurting you."

He blinked, confused. Was that Yugi? He raised his eyes, staring blankly at the other's remorseful expression for what felt like minutes, wondering when exactly he had gotten his breath back to speak. Then, abruptly, his brain began to take such words in, to give them meaning, and his understanding of the statement made him frown faintly.

"It's okay."

"You know if I could, I would do anything to save you."

"And that's why I've done everything to do the same for you, little one."

It was somehow heartbreaking to hear that ring of intense loyalty in his voice again. He had heard it all his life, had loved it so much that he'd often reveled in such fierce attention. He had mirrored it often, loving him so much, but now it shook him to his very core. If they had not been so intensely loyal to one another, would Atemu have tried harder? Would he somehow have managed to reverse his fate? If it had been Mahado or Mana or someone in his place, would he have had the power to do it? Would he have turned around with the ability to change the gods' opinions?

But it was too late, wasn't it? It was too late to wonder about it all and regret and wish for something better. He knew it as well as Atemu. And yet he could not help himself and as he pressed a small, lingering kiss to the spot beneath his ear, where his jaw met his neck, he found himself swallowed by shame. His lust ebbed for a moment, replaced so fully by this river of emotion, that he felt it could easily swallow them both, but it was as always; the younger monarch held the power. He recalled for a moment when he had found his way into his room, whispering and pleading with him, begging him to tell him it was okay when his father had grown sick. He remembered his plea for him to just tell him, to lie, to hold him and comfort him, and make him forget. And he remembered the way his own body had frozen in place, the turmoil present on the younger boy's face a mirror of his own growing weakness. And, a desperate and young Atemu had cried in his arms, unable to do any more but whisper to him that he was sorry.

Now, older, wiser, a hardened Atemu did not hesitate to do similar. He might not cry as he had before, in his own time, upon learning of his death at such an early age, but he was more subtle now, with more destructive power than the sharpest of blades, and, still, the power belonged to him and him alone.

"You belong with me. And only me."

He reached down to touch his face, and the younger boy quivered pathetically, nearly breaking before his eyes, as his fingers curled around his cheek.

Atemu simply moaned moments later, their bodies pressed together, sticky skin slicked with scorching sweat, muscle sliding against muscle, then catching in places, like tension and release. He did not even truly recognize the fact that Yugi's own legs were shaking, as unstable as a newborn foul's, or that he was gasping as his blunt nails raked along his arched back with such pleasure as to make him hiss and cry out. It all seemed abruptly to be too much, too fast. He felt as if the gods had touched his skin, had singed his nerve endings, were punishing his devotion to this older boy. He was shivering, then shuddering, and he realized only vaguely, within an echoing recognition somewhere in his scattered thoughts, that so was the other. And so they moved still against each other, until one or the other was finally brave enough to seek the other's lips. There was no feeling he could describe it as, with such strength and stimulation as to make his heart pound and his body slick further with perspiration. The heat of the candlelight and torches about the bedchamber made the air all the more heavier, bearing on them with such comfort and reassurance as to almost dispel the memories of the conversation mere seconds before.

But as the tension mounted, so did it seem to abruptly fade. There was a bitter and hideous exhaustion which plagued them both, the desperation of their former reassurance fleeing for the briefest of moments. Their nerves were frayed and so a mutual relief fell upon them as well. Yugi clung to the younger monarch, arms looped around his broad shoulders, nose tickling the skin of his clavicle. He seemed still so small, even after all those summers together. The sweetest of an innocent child, rendered bitter by his place in a life that so harshly demanded his existence, seemed always to move with that intense air of solitude about him. The loneliness was palpable now more than it had ever been before.

And Yugi could taste it on his tongue. It was warm, bitter, and sour, with an edge of drunken recklessness that had always marked his decisions amongst those who lived with him inside the palace. A lump rose into his throat, tasting of bile, a stone which made his breaths labored and weak, all his regrets rolled up and fired into a lump that he could never quite push down.

"I love you."

The older boy grabbed at his hips firmly a moment later, emphasizing the point of his words, and Atemu acquiesced as he always did. He held his gaze, frozen in place, watching him with familiar darkened eyes as his fingers drifted and skimmed down his inner thigh. His fingertips tapped against the soft skin there and he spread his legs further, giving him more room to let his fingers dip in, pressing a moment later.

As their lips pressed together, the kiss was unusually hard, sharpened around the edges as the older boy leaned with a timid yet demanding force. Atemu yielded, nails digging into his shoulders, a stray finding his spine and scraping at the knob it found there. His fingers moved, two rather than one, gentle and slow at first. It was long and painstaking, and the younger boy struggled to maintain himself, wishing nothing more than to make him race. He was excited and desperate, yet somehow focused entirely on keeping it all at a steady pace. If this was the final night they were ever given together, he wanted and _needed_ desperately for it to last as long as they were capable.

Yugi slid his arm under his back, pulling just enough to make him arch and tremble, lifting him briefly off the mattress and nearly into his lap. He squirmed, grunting at the uncomfortable emptiness that greeted him for that brief second before he entered him once more with such fullness that it made him whimper with pleasure and mewl as he shifted his weight to push and pull inside of him with small, easy thrusts. He leaned forward enough to allow the younger royal a chance to kiss along his neck pleasantly, clinging to him more forcefully.

The rhythm was slower, steadier, than anything that might have happened in the garden rises before. The drifting touch to his cheek was soft and gentle enough that he faltered in his open-mouth kisses along his neck and pulled away to settle against the mattress once more. Yugi traced his jaw again, the soft fingertips dropping to his chest a moment later, his palm opening to press against his breast, above his heart which raced so quickly it was almost painful. His mouth opened, maybe to tell him he loved him, or maybe to mumble something incoherent, but his breath was caught. His muscles coiled tightly, his lungs aching, his spine tingling with pleasure and gentle pain.

The older boy's energy was growing. Lips pressed gently against his earlobe, making him tremble. "I love you." The words were whispered into his ear, so quiet he almost missed them, and he whimpered at the soft affection he found there, feeling weak and exhausted for a moment. The power with which the words punched through his system made him shiver and tremble, heart racing faster, body pulsing with each new toss of pleasure that coursed through him.

"I…I…l…" The words were caught in his throat, struggling to come up, but his lungs were too tight, first with pain, then with pleasure. His voice sounded tight even to his own ears, and he swore Yugi paused for a second, as if to savor the words that he could not force out of his throat.

"My beautiful little habibi…"

Atemu whimpered at the statement, the familiar words, then pulled him closer, the noise curling softly for a moment. "…Yugi?"

"Hmm?"

"Promise you'll stay."

It was pathetic in comparison to the three words he had given him moments before, but it was all that would come from his throat. His words were small, raw, ragged with tension and satisfaction, laden with desperation, and for a moment Yugi seemed to hesitate.

"I promise."

Almost unconsciously the young monarch moved a hand to stroke his hair, to wrap his fingers around the long threads there, tangling as the cool strands made the heat of them fade if only slightly. He reveled in the sensation of Yugi emptying himself into him, in the effect it had on him as it always did, the fact that he could still bring such pleasure to the older male making him pull gently at his scalp with his longer nails. It was empowering, possessive, and the sensation of being wanted and needed, with equal intensity to rival his own, made his nerve endings burn and tingle pleasurably. The sensation was amazing, fingers gripping harder, nails sinking further, teeth grinding painfully within his own jaw, his stomach pulled taut yet stretching as his back arched to meet his slowing thrusts.

At length he stilled and the younger boy found himself worrying his bottom lip, eyes flickering to the other's mouth where he was panting raggedly. His nails continued to work at the skin he knew to bear red trails where they had scraped so noticeably. He trembled, a jerky movement that made the other boy blink stupidly in surprise and then look at him curiously. He could not breathe for a moment, choking on the very task of thinking straight. His mouth opened, then closed. A ragged little noise left him.

The older boy blinked again, startled, before pulling away just enough to lay beside him and gather him into his torso. It reminded him so much of being younger, of his father's illness, that he choked again, and the noise was a hollow echo among the bedchamber's lavish walls. He thought of those many nights this very thing had happened and his body was racked with yet another tremor.

"Atemu…"

The gentle tone of his voice made him hiss in displeasure. He wanted, for the smallest of moments, to jerk away from him, to claw at his face, to cry out angrily, to snarl and sneer, but the sensation passed abruptly. Weakly, quietly, he muttered, "I would have offered you the kingdom if you had only asked. I would have made the gods bow to you if I had only known how." It was a weak explanation, swallowed by his grief more than anything else, and the other boy merely blinked at it. He bit his lip until it bled, then narrowed his eyes and shook his head faintly as he continued to choke out words in a statement that he was not sure he fully recognized even as he struggled to control his voice. "I could only do so much. I could only pledge Osiris and Ra and I couldn't even manage to save myself. I…I…"

" _Atemu_ ," he stressed, feeling him tremble harder against his chest. His cheek, usually soft and warm, was a ghost of cold shock and painful where his jaw was clenched so tightly that his muscles formed a hardened wall against his flesh.

He squirmed to pull himself from his grip, acting almost as a cornered animal in the feral expression that crossed his wide eyes, and sat back on his haunches. He was panting, his lip bleeding in such a long strip of bright red that Yugi stiffened and stared almost blindly at it with horror. It dripped down his chin in a replica of his initial wound, gathering there, and for a moment he wanted nothing more than to try to heal him. It seemed so simple, to gather him in his arms and hold him there while he shook and struggled against him, until he calmed from fatigue or the realization that he would not let him go before he was ready. He wanted to blot the wound, to make sure that it did not become a permanent blemish as his blood so heavily suggested.

But he found himself unable to move, rendered immobile before his younger lover.

His red eyes flickered and danced for a moment. And his voice came out small and strained.

"I'm scared, Yugi…I don't want to die…"

He would not cry, but his voice was broken with fatigue and pain. The older boy moved to sit up as well and watched him as he struggled for words. But there was nothing he could say to him that would make it better. And Atemu might have come to grips with his fate, but he was not fully ready for it. So, sitting before him, within a distance he could so easily reach out to touch him yet so far that he could not fathom his existence there, he opted for the simplest response he could come up with.

"I know."

* * *

 **I'm a terrible person. I know. But I couldn't do anything more with it. Not without making it into something else that I might never be satisfied with. And the ending seemed best this way, even if the lemon was not as extravagant as I had been hoping for. But I'm so blocked where they come into it and I couldn't think of much more to do with it all.**

 **On a side note, I don't think the combination of each of these author's notes with all of the facts to explain the story's structure even come CLOSE to HALF of the research I actually did for the entire thing. It's slightly sad, but it's kind of true all the same.**

 **So, I just wanted to say, that before anyone gets upset, I honestly couldn't picture a fight between Yugi and Akefia going but one way. I see Akefia as stronger and with a faster hit (mostly because of his lifestyle as a thief) as well as a longer reach (because he's obviously taller), more like Seth who kicked Atemu's butt while they were children while Yugi was forced to watch and often intervene. Because of this, and because I kind of didn't have all the ideas of what a fight might have looked like back then (considering I'd think mostly there might be weapons involved and I'm still pretty novice at fight scenes altogether) so rather than ruin the chapter having a scene between Osiris and Diabound either, I kept it all as brief as possible.**

 **Second, before anyone says anything about this, the story was ALWAYS set up to be a pre-canon one, and I had planned on only six chapters. The chapter came out MOSTLY to my satisfaction, mainly where dialogue is concerned, but I obviously did not get as much with it as I had initially hoped. I guess when I made the outline some things stuck better for the flow than others did, and the lemon is much different than I had originally planned it. Atemu was actually supposed to seduce Yugi before explaining it all to him, then say that if he wanted to turn away from him he would not blame him while Yugi would attempt to reassure him and fail miserably. Either that or Yugi would struggle with the idea of his death, seduce him, and wind up clinging to him while he was asleep and spend the night wondering if he might suddenly slip away from him. The idea of the actual lemon did not occur until the last second while I was writing and it made more sense to me than the other two. Unfortunately it makes Atemu seem far weaker than he actually is and Yugi seem needier than ever, although, in retrospect, that kind of situation would call for something similar to that, I think. So I guess I'm mostly satisfied with it, even if it was a lot different than I originally planned.**

 **Also, I'm pretty sure my writing style changed somewhere in the middle of the chapter. Like, I remember doing a LARGE chunk of it before I got anywhere NEAR the scenes where Yugi and Atemu were actually together in the bedchambers, and while I was editing I kind of went "There's a clear line right here, right where my new style started taking over" and it kind of annoyed me but at the same time I liked the way it turned out so I can't even argue with it. It's just a little surprising, I guess, that it's so clearly defined—or at least that it is for me. I'm not sure if everyone else will notice, but it keeps hitting me in the face every time I edit lol.**

 **I almost forgot to mention but Atemu stripped Yugi down to lay him under the sheets with him.**

 **Wepwawet is an Egyptian god of war, victory, hunting,** **Lycopolis, a guardian of the deceased, "Opener of the Ways", and the Protector of Pharaoh and Egyptian army. In pictures he's depicted as bluish or grayish-furred wolf or jackal, so that he isn't confused with Anubis. His center was** **Asyut** **of** **Upper Egypt** **which became Lycopolis in the Greco-Roman era. He was also thought to be the pharaoh's mascot when he went to war and would clear the way as a scout when he traveled to battles. Since he's a wolf they named the city Lycopolis (literally "the city of wolves" after him). I thought it was a fitting name, considering the dog is one of Atemu's hunting dogs but also because he acts as his protector some nights (and he's obviously his favorite considering he gave him such a regal name). Or at least, those nights that Yugi isn't with him. Then there's no need for the dog.**

 **I had originally planned to describe Bastet a lot more, make her a really pretty cat, but I decided after a while that it was somewhat unnecessary. Neither of them needed too much description to them considering they're only in there for all of a couple of paragraphs. And neither of their roles was completely significant in the scene they were in either, so it made sense to me to just leave them as is.**

 **Also, I don't think there was anything I missed anything that needed explaining as far as research and notes go. There wasn't much in this chapter that I found it necessary to tell you about.**


End file.
